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The Peace of God Surpasses Understanding
Anxiety does strange and awful things to our bodies. I can’t exactly understand or explain how they are affected by the increase in cortisol and adrenaline, but I know that most of the time it doesn’t feel good. Stress causes some of us headaches or other physical pain. Some of us struggle with heart palpitations and increased blood pressure when we get anxious. Others find themselves with irritating skin reactions like hives or blotches.
In my family, anxiety presents itself mostly in the gut. Our medicine cabinet is full of Tums, Prilosec, Pepto Bismol, and other digestive relief products. It takes lifestyle change, rest, and time to remedy the effects of stress on our systems.
And what about our minds? Sometimes I feel like my brain has been shocked by an anxiety attack, and I lose my power to think clearly or calm myself down.
I’m writing this after suffering one of those attacks this morning because we all need to know this promise is true.
“The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”
It came to mind as I boarded a plane by myself in the middle of a family emergency. I felt physically dizzy and weak, my stomach was churning, and I was on the verge of tears. I tried to calm myself down, I tried to find comfort in the kind texts from friends, and I desperately tried to pray. Nothing was really working.
This verse came to my mind, as it often does when I ask Jesus to give me his peace. I tried to imagine what it means to have his kind of peace— the peace that surpasses all understanding.
The Greek word used here for surpass is hyperecho, which is defined as superior, higher, better, and supreme.
Where do we find this kind of peace? Does “higher and better” mean God’s peace is somewhere way up above our anxiety?
I’m pretty sure that’s not what it means. Here I was, thirty thousand feet in the air asking for this kind of peace, and my problems were right there with me. I could still feel all the stress.
And then I felt something new.
A breath of calm seemed to flow inside and outside of me at the same time. It wasn’t coming from a specific direction, and I couldn’t distinguish where I felt it in my body. The only way to describe it was that something good was happening. My body relaxed. My mind felt clear.
For a beautiful few moments, my heart felt the presence of Jesus. I was overcome with the absolute assurance that he was right there with me. The peace that seemed impossible to find or understand found me.
His peace can transcend our situation, our location, our bodies, our minds, and our emotions. He can permeate our whole being with his exceedingly above and beyond, incomprehensible peace.
Thank you for reading!
This plan was adapted from Lighthearted 100-Day Devotional by author Susie Crosby. Click here to learn more or purchase your copy.
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About this Plan
The heaviness of life is causing many of us to become more overwhelmed and anxious than ever before. We often forget that Jesus promises us his peace and his presence no matter what we are going through. This five-day devotional highlights five important verses that include a promise from Scripture to lighten your load, soothe your struggle, and point you to God’s peace that passes all understanding.
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