Overcoming StressSample

The Bible tells us how to get peace—but you can’t do it alone.  

Fortunately for us, there’s a clear formula for peace found in God’s Word. In the book of Philippians, Paul is writing a letter to the church of Philippi. He’s encouraging them, answering some of their questions, and giving solutions to age-old questions we’re still asking today. 

In chapter four, Paul gives us a pretty clear picture of what it looks like to seek God’s peace. Let’s take a look: 

Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon. Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:4-7 NLT 

Powerful stuff, right? So let’s break it down. To find peace, we need to: 

1. Always be joyful in the Lord. (Our joy is deeper than our circumstances—our joy is found in Christ alone!) 

2. Let everyone see that we are considerate in all we do. (Put others first—remember, we can beat stress by thinking of ourselves less.) 

3. Remember the Lord is coming soon. (Keep an eternal perspective.) 

4. Don’t worry about anything. (Give your worries over to God.) 

5. Instead, pray about everything. (Everything. Seriously. Whenever you get stressed, pray about it right then and there.) 

6. Tell God your needs. (There’s no magic formula for prayer. Just tell God what’s on your heart and your mind, and trust Him to meet those needs in ways only He can.) 

7. Thank him for all he has done. (Don’t forget to say thank You for all the ways He’s already proven Himself faithful in your life.) 

So, there you have it. Peace is possible. The Bible gives us a clear pathway to peace, but we can’t do it alone. Peace is only possible in the presence of Jesus. Why? Because peace isn’t the absence of problems; it’s restoring what’s broken, and only God has the power to heal us from the inside out and make broken things new. 

Challenge: Read Philippians 4:4-7 a few times. Write it down. Put it somewhere you will see it often. Screenshot it and make it your phone background, put it on your mirror, write it on a sticky note on your binder—just put it somewhere you’ll read it often. Every time you start to feel stressed, read those verses again and pray that God would give you His peace.