“Be carful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
Philippians 4:6-7
Having the peace of God operate in our lives is critical to having a successful life. Yet so many Christians allow fear, worry and anxiety to trouble them, which can interfere with their decision making, health, relationships and even their finances. However, Jesus teaches us a better way. In John 14:26-27 Jesus tells us: “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”
When we received Jesus as our Lord, we received His peace in our hearts. Isaiah 9:6-7 says about Jesus: “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever.”
If Jesus is the Prince of Peace, and as believers we have received Him into our hearts, then we should be carriers of that peace. That peace should be operating powerfully in our lives. In fact, it is a part of the fruit of the spirit. (See Galatians 5:22) Why then are so many believers allowing anxiety, worry, fear and depression to overshadow them? Often it is because they haven’t gotten the revelation of who they are in Christ. They allow the circumstance to define them, instead of God’s word. They allow their bank account, or job or lack of job to define their future, instead of God’s promises. The key to allowing that peace to operate in our lives, is to walk in faith on the promises of God. Believe that what God says, will surely come to pass. Trust in His promises.
In Mathew 6:25-30 Jesus reminds us: “Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow, they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all of his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven; shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?”
When Jesus says to “Take no thought”, He truly means to not think of those things that cause worry. Do not meditate on them over and over. Do not meditate on the problem. Instead, we need to take those thoughts captive to Christ and replace them with God’s promises. As we do, we then begin to have vision for the direction God is leading us. God has a solution. However, so many times people are so caught up in the worry and fear they can not see or hear God’s solution to the problem. Instead, they become busy trying to find the solution for themselves. It’s like creating static on a radio station. The station is there, but they can’t hear it because of the static interference. Worry, fear and anxiety create static in our relationship with the Lord. It makes it hard to hear Him. Therefore, this month, make every effort to tune out worry and tune into God’s promises. Meditate on them. Keep them ever before your eyes. Then “The peace of God which passes all understanding will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” and you will then see the victory!
Further reading: Isaiah 41: 10, Romans 14:19, Isaiah 26:3, John 16:33, Jeremiah 29:11, Galatians 5:22, 1 Peter 5:7, Psalm 4:8, Psalm 34:13-15, Psalm 119:165, Romans 5:1-2
