The Pathway of Peace
Day 1 - Last week, we pondered HOPE - This week, we will think about PEACE.
Philippians 4:6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Don’t you love verses like this one? It makes it sound so easy! Just do not be anxious. Oh, I never tried that! (Yes, I am being sarcastic. I have often thought that sarcasm should have its own punctuation mark.)
Thankfully, we aren’t left there, we are given something else to do—a choice OTHER THAN dwelling in anxiety. Through “prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God,” we are promised that if we engage in this activity, the peace of God will guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
So just like Hope, Peace is also a process. For some reason, God never makes anything quick and easy! (That is on purpose, but we will talk about that another time!)
Over the next few days, let us walk together down the pathway of peace outlined by Paul here.
I think we could all use a bit more peace in our lives. Don’t you?
Day 2 - In every situation...pray
I love the universality of this advice.
James 5 echoes this idea in verse "13 Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. 14 Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord."
You and I are meant to be people who pray. The Greek word hides no mysteries; it just means "prayer or a place of prayer". His advice to us is simple. Make prayer a part of your life. No matter what is going on. When you are happy, pray. Sad? Pray. In trouble? Pray.
We so often divorce the idea of prayer from the simplicity of what it actually is, communication with God. Paul is encouraging us to begin an ongoing conversation with God.
The first step on the "pathway of peace" is the most obvious. This is no deep insight discovered by divine revelation and an intense study of the original language. This is straightforward. Pray. To quote the Nike ads, "Just Do It". Talk to Him. All through the day. No matter your mood, make it a habit to talk to God.
You won't regret it.
Day 3 - petition with thanksgiving
We said yesterday that the Greek word translated “prayer” in this text is a generic word just meaning prayer, and the following two words describe the attitude of that prayer.
**Petition** - this word conveys an urgent plea arising from a deep sense of need. The word highlights dependency, urgency, and humility—a man with his hat in his hand. “I have nowhere else to turn”. In prayer, we come to God seriously, recognizing both the reality of our need AND God as the only answer.
Some of the men and women who taught me to pray said things like, “Pray until the burden lifts.” The apostle Peter said in 1 Peter 5:7 “cast your cares on him”. We bring the fire of our emotions, our fear, worry, anger, or shame. We lay them at his feet because he can handle our emotions without becoming offended, and he is the answer to our deepest needs.
**With Thanksgiving** - gratitude is a powerful thing. It is a way of moving from one kind of emotion to another. There are numerous scientific studies showing that gratitude literally rewires our brains for wellness. God does not demand gratitude because of his ego; he invites us to gratitude for our own mental and emotional well-being! He says, “ok, I have heard your need. Now remember your blessings!”
Today, my friends, bring your petition and leave it with God. Pick up gratitude instead and go out into your day with peace.
Philippians 4:6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Day 4 - the peace of God transcends understanding
This phrase is a very well-known scrap of scripture. I think it was usually the King James version of the verse that has run around in my head, the “peace that passes understanding.”
It is a truth experienced by every generation of the people of God. When we are people of prayer, living from a relationship with God, bringing our petitions and practicing thanksgiving, peace settles down over us like a warm blanket. It does not happen immediately. It takes a bit of work, but eventually, we will find that peace.
What does it mean that it passes understanding?
1. It does not come from understanding - the peace we are talking about does not come from a thorough examination of the facts. It isn’t a trick of the mind. We aren’t juking our brains out of worry. This peace often comes in SPITE of our understanding. We understand that we are not in control (that’s harder for some than for others). We know that despite all our actions, we cannot fix this problem ourselves.
We have run out of rope… so we let go. We hand this problem off to someone bigger than ourselves and rest in the peace that He will figure this out. He knows better than we do. He is stronger than we are. He saw this coming and has a plan. He loves us more than we love ourselves, and we can trust him. That is the true nature of prayer.
Prayer is a choice to trust God.
2. It transcends our understanding - the Greek word translated “transcends” is interesting here. It's a word for “higher than,” like we would use to describe a boss or an authority figure - so to bring that aspect out, we might say, “the peace of God which overrules our understanding.” Not only does this peace not come from our understanding, but it outranks our understanding. It is more important than our understanding. God is bigger and smarter than we are. I remember being absolutely terrified by a thunderstorm one evening when I was a kid. My parents were away that night, and an elderly lady named Peggy Johnson was watching my sister and me. She saw that I was scared and wrapped me up in her soft arms and said, “What are you scared of? Do you see me shakin' in my slippers? I’ll tell you what, when you see ole Peggy getting scared, then you are allowed to be afraid”.
Her peace overruled my panic. She knew better than I did, and that filled me with peace.
This morning, let his strong arms surround you. Surrender to his peace. It overrules your understanding.
Day 5 - Peace that guards our hearts and minds
This phrase was the hook that brought me into the verses we have been examining this week. I’ve been thinking about it every day. I am asking for it. I am praying for a peace that will guard my heart and my mind.
In this verse, the word to guard has two dimensions to it, and both of them bring me comfort.
First, it means to protect. I welcome the protection of the peace of God. There are so many things threatening all around. The future. The opinions and actions of others. The state of the world. The roar of that roaming lion, Satan. They are all constantly attempting to arrest my heart and mind, my emotions and my thoughts, and take them captive to fear. I NEED a guard. I NEED a protector. My time in prayer, petition, and thanksgiving is all spent putting myself under the protection of the peace of God.
Second, to guard means to keep a thing in place, like a shepherd keeps a sheep in the fold. The threats don’t come just from the outside! My heart and mind tend to wander! I am drawn out of peace and into worry. I am lured away to join others in their fear. My own sense of inadequacy would press me into rash action or (even worse) frozen indecision. The peace of God gives me freedom to act without fear.
I remember the talk we would always have with our kids at the park. “Stay where I can see you.” I wanted them to have the freedom to move wherever they wanted, but I wanted them to stay under my gaze so that if they needed help, I could come to their rescue. That’s what the peace of God does for us. It isn’t a fence or a leash or any form of control. It is the loving gaze of a wise parent. Sure, you can leave the peace of God, but you will only endanger yourself.
That’s why we were always told not to make a decision unless I have peace about it.
The peace of God is a guard, and I am so thankful for it.
Day 1 - Last week, we pondered HOPE - This week, we will think about PEACE.
Philippians 4:6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Don’t you love verses like this one? It makes it sound so easy! Just do not be anxious. Oh, I never tried that! (Yes, I am being sarcastic. I have often thought that sarcasm should have its own punctuation mark.)
Thankfully, we aren’t left there, we are given something else to do—a choice OTHER THAN dwelling in anxiety. Through “prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God,” we are promised that if we engage in this activity, the peace of God will guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
So just like Hope, Peace is also a process. For some reason, God never makes anything quick and easy! (That is on purpose, but we will talk about that another time!)
Over the next few days, let us walk together down the pathway of peace outlined by Paul here.
I think we could all use a bit more peace in our lives. Don’t you?
Day 2 - In every situation...pray
I love the universality of this advice.
James 5 echoes this idea in verse "13 Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. 14 Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord."
You and I are meant to be people who pray. The Greek word hides no mysteries; it just means "prayer or a place of prayer". His advice to us is simple. Make prayer a part of your life. No matter what is going on. When you are happy, pray. Sad? Pray. In trouble? Pray.
We so often divorce the idea of prayer from the simplicity of what it actually is, communication with God. Paul is encouraging us to begin an ongoing conversation with God.
The first step on the "pathway of peace" is the most obvious. This is no deep insight discovered by divine revelation and an intense study of the original language. This is straightforward. Pray. To quote the Nike ads, "Just Do It". Talk to Him. All through the day. No matter your mood, make it a habit to talk to God.
You won't regret it.
Day 3 - petition with thanksgiving
We said yesterday that the Greek word translated “prayer” in this text is a generic word just meaning prayer, and the following two words describe the attitude of that prayer.
**Petition** - this word conveys an urgent plea arising from a deep sense of need. The word highlights dependency, urgency, and humility—a man with his hat in his hand. “I have nowhere else to turn”. In prayer, we come to God seriously, recognizing both the reality of our need AND God as the only answer.
Some of the men and women who taught me to pray said things like, “Pray until the burden lifts.” The apostle Peter said in 1 Peter 5:7 “cast your cares on him”. We bring the fire of our emotions, our fear, worry, anger, or shame. We lay them at his feet because he can handle our emotions without becoming offended, and he is the answer to our deepest needs.
**With Thanksgiving** - gratitude is a powerful thing. It is a way of moving from one kind of emotion to another. There are numerous scientific studies showing that gratitude literally rewires our brains for wellness. God does not demand gratitude because of his ego; he invites us to gratitude for our own mental and emotional well-being! He says, “ok, I have heard your need. Now remember your blessings!”
Today, my friends, bring your petition and leave it with God. Pick up gratitude instead and go out into your day with peace.
Philippians 4:6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Day 4 - the peace of God transcends understanding
This phrase is a very well-known scrap of scripture. I think it was usually the King James version of the verse that has run around in my head, the “peace that passes understanding.”
It is a truth experienced by every generation of the people of God. When we are people of prayer, living from a relationship with God, bringing our petitions and practicing thanksgiving, peace settles down over us like a warm blanket. It does not happen immediately. It takes a bit of work, but eventually, we will find that peace.
What does it mean that it passes understanding?
1. It does not come from understanding - the peace we are talking about does not come from a thorough examination of the facts. It isn’t a trick of the mind. We aren’t juking our brains out of worry. This peace often comes in SPITE of our understanding. We understand that we are not in control (that’s harder for some than for others). We know that despite all our actions, we cannot fix this problem ourselves.
We have run out of rope… so we let go. We hand this problem off to someone bigger than ourselves and rest in the peace that He will figure this out. He knows better than we do. He is stronger than we are. He saw this coming and has a plan. He loves us more than we love ourselves, and we can trust him. That is the true nature of prayer.
Prayer is a choice to trust God.
2. It transcends our understanding - the Greek word translated “transcends” is interesting here. It's a word for “higher than,” like we would use to describe a boss or an authority figure - so to bring that aspect out, we might say, “the peace of God which overrules our understanding.” Not only does this peace not come from our understanding, but it outranks our understanding. It is more important than our understanding. God is bigger and smarter than we are. I remember being absolutely terrified by a thunderstorm one evening when I was a kid. My parents were away that night, and an elderly lady named Peggy Johnson was watching my sister and me. She saw that I was scared and wrapped me up in her soft arms and said, “What are you scared of? Do you see me shakin' in my slippers? I’ll tell you what, when you see ole Peggy getting scared, then you are allowed to be afraid”.
Her peace overruled my panic. She knew better than I did, and that filled me with peace.
This morning, let his strong arms surround you. Surrender to his peace. It overrules your understanding.
Day 5 - Peace that guards our hearts and minds
This phrase was the hook that brought me into the verses we have been examining this week. I’ve been thinking about it every day. I am asking for it. I am praying for a peace that will guard my heart and my mind.
In this verse, the word to guard has two dimensions to it, and both of them bring me comfort.
First, it means to protect. I welcome the protection of the peace of God. There are so many things threatening all around. The future. The opinions and actions of others. The state of the world. The roar of that roaming lion, Satan. They are all constantly attempting to arrest my heart and mind, my emotions and my thoughts, and take them captive to fear. I NEED a guard. I NEED a protector. My time in prayer, petition, and thanksgiving is all spent putting myself under the protection of the peace of God.
Second, to guard means to keep a thing in place, like a shepherd keeps a sheep in the fold. The threats don’t come just from the outside! My heart and mind tend to wander! I am drawn out of peace and into worry. I am lured away to join others in their fear. My own sense of inadequacy would press me into rash action or (even worse) frozen indecision. The peace of God gives me freedom to act without fear.
I remember the talk we would always have with our kids at the park. “Stay where I can see you.” I wanted them to have the freedom to move wherever they wanted, but I wanted them to stay under my gaze so that if they needed help, I could come to their rescue. That’s what the peace of God does for us. It isn’t a fence or a leash or any form of control. It is the loving gaze of a wise parent. Sure, you can leave the peace of God, but you will only endanger yourself.
That’s why we were always told not to make a decision unless I have peace about it.
The peace of God is a guard, and I am so thankful for it.