Philippians 4:2-9
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard you hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." (Phil. 4:6,7)
Most people have experienced some sort of anxiety and long for peace. The above passage gives us a promise of peace that is beyond our comprehension. It is sourced in God and has the power to protect both heart and mind. I rely heavily on the promise of this verse when I struggle with worry.
Here I am, over 20 years since I first memorized this passage, and I'm more confident now that God can give me His peace. I'm also more aware of the immediate context of the verses and that the appropriation of the peace of God is not some random occurance but a gift given as part of the larger gift of God Himself.
To read Philippians 4:2-9, click here.
The first thing I notice in this 2011 edition of NIV is that "agree with each other in the Lord" is now translated "to be of the same mind" (verse 2). This intrigues me since the elements I want to focus on throughout this passage are those pertaining to our hearts and minds.
Verse 4-9 are primarily commands about what is to go on in our hearts and minds: Rejoice in the Lord (vs 4); gentleness being evident (vs 5); not anxious but prayer, petition, and thanksgiving (vs 6); thinking about things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, or praiseworthy (vs 8); and putting into practice everything learned/heard/received/seen (vs 9). These things do not occur only at a heart or mind level but they must occur there before they are manifest in actions or words.
So then I ask myself, "Is the promised peace merely a result of a disciplined mind? of a heart that doesn't get carried away with fear?" While MUCH can be said about the merits of discipline in our thinking and not allowing our feelings to control us, on their own, these practices won't give us the "peace of God that transcends all understanding". There is more to the peace of God than the absence of fear or the presence of pleasant things. And there is more to these commands than mental or emotional well-being exercises. Our joy is in the Lord, our gentleness is possible because of the Lord's nearness, when we are dealing with our anxiety, it is to God we pray and to Him we give thanks. Even the commands of verses 8 and 9 which don't have any direct reference to God resonate with the things of God and God Himself when taken in the context of the book of Philippians.
What's my point? The ultimate source of our peace is God. See the end of verse 9 "And the God of peace will be with you." Note in verse 7 it was "the peace of God" and now it is "the God of peace". Receiving the peace of God is so comforting and so important as we deal with the stresses and troubles of life. Responding to God in faith and obedience is necessary on our part to receive that gift. But the thing that we are to be most desireous of, the thing that will most satisfy, comfort, and refresh us, the thing that we don't want to settle for less than is God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Most people have experienced some sort of anxiety and long for peace. The above passage gives us a promise of peace that is beyond our comprehension. It is sourced in God and has the power to protect both heart and mind. I rely heavily on the promise of this verse when I struggle with worry.
Here I am, over 20 years since I first memorized this passage, and I'm more confident now that God can give me His peace. I'm also more aware of the immediate context of the verses and that the appropriation of the peace of God is not some random occurance but a gift given as part of the larger gift of God Himself.
To read Philippians 4:2-9, click here.
The first thing I notice in this 2011 edition of NIV is that "agree with each other in the Lord" is now translated "to be of the same mind" (verse 2). This intrigues me since the elements I want to focus on throughout this passage are those pertaining to our hearts and minds.
Verse 4-9 are primarily commands about what is to go on in our hearts and minds: Rejoice in the Lord (vs 4); gentleness being evident (vs 5); not anxious but prayer, petition, and thanksgiving (vs 6); thinking about things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, or praiseworthy (vs 8); and putting into practice everything learned/heard/received/seen (vs 9). These things do not occur only at a heart or mind level but they must occur there before they are manifest in actions or words.
So then I ask myself, "Is the promised peace merely a result of a disciplined mind? of a heart that doesn't get carried away with fear?" While MUCH can be said about the merits of discipline in our thinking and not allowing our feelings to control us, on their own, these practices won't give us the "peace of God that transcends all understanding". There is more to the peace of God than the absence of fear or the presence of pleasant things. And there is more to these commands than mental or emotional well-being exercises. Our joy is in the Lord, our gentleness is possible because of the Lord's nearness, when we are dealing with our anxiety, it is to God we pray and to Him we give thanks. Even the commands of verses 8 and 9 which don't have any direct reference to God resonate with the things of God and God Himself when taken in the context of the book of Philippians.
What's my point? The ultimate source of our peace is God. See the end of verse 9 "And the God of peace will be with you." Note in verse 7 it was "the peace of God" and now it is "the God of peace". Receiving the peace of God is so comforting and so important as we deal with the stresses and troubles of life. Responding to God in faith and obedience is necessary on our part to receive that gift. But the thing that we are to be most desireous of, the thing that will most satisfy, comfort, and refresh us, the thing that we don't want to settle for less than is God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
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