Dwell on These Things: Transform Your Heart and Mind by Memorizing God’s WordSample

The Peace of God

When I think of peace, I think of my friend Anita.

I’ll never forget a conversation I had with her about her heart condition, which was brought on by an illness when she was a missionary kid in Africa. The condition required surgery. As she shared, I realized the significance of the situation, the danger she faced, and the necessity for the procedure. But she talked about it like she was having a wart removed, like it was no big deal. But it was a big deal. I couldn’t help but ask her how she could be so peaceful. She responded that God, who had always taken care of her in life would take care of her even in her death. It was apparent she had the peace of God.

God's peace makes no earthly sense. It's a peace not dependent on circumstances. In fact, we can experience His peace despite real and rational reasons for anxiety. His peace goes above and beyond our solutions and control, our abilities and strategies, our striving and grasping. It exceeds our finite limits and transcends our possibilities.

In all our earthly troubles, we can experience peace from God. In fact, just before Jesus left this earth, He told His disciples:

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid” (John 14:27).

This is not a worldly kind of peace and not just an absence of conflict or difficulty. It’s a heavenly peace, one that unburdens and protects our troubled hearts and minds. It's the promised peace of God when we pray. God Himself, who hears our prayers and cares about our anxiety, gives us peace when we come to Him in prayer.

At the end of Philippians 4:7 is a little phrase: “In Christ Jesus.” The protective peace of God is contingent on us being “in Christ Jesus.”

We can have peace from our anxiety because we first have peace with God in Christ. Philippians 1:1 calls us “holy people [or saints] in Christ Jesus.” That doesn’t mean we’re spiritually elite or our goodness stands above others. Our status is totally dependent on Christ and what He has done for us. We are “found in Him” because of His righteousness, which is granted to us through faith. So, we can have peace in the midst of our troubles, because we know “in Christ” we have everything we need. Our salvation is secure in Christ, and every good gift of God (including His peace) is also found in Him. Thus it’s fitting for all believers to be referred to as being “in Christ Jesus” and for all our blessings also to be found “in him.” Conversely, there is no good thing found outside of Him (James 1:17). Therefore, we can and should “rejoice in the Lord always!” (Philippians 4:4).

God’s peace surpasses, transcends, and exceeds our ability to conceive it. His peace goes beyond what our limited minds can understand. Frankly, peace is never a logical human response to our anxiety-producing circumstances. To have peace in the face of anxiety is otherworldly and incomprehensible.

Take a moment to read and meditate on Philippians 4:7, then thank God for the peace we can have through the saving work of Jesus on our behalf.