PRAY UNTIL PEACE COMES
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6, 7.
The peace of God is the referee in our hearts (Colossians 3:15), the faithful and accurate measure of the open channel between us and the Father. When our peace has been disturbed, we know that we are out of sync with Him. The question is, “How do we get back to having His peace rule in our hearts?”
Anxiety is a peace-destroyer and can show up in many guises; fear, insecurity, anger, and jealousy are all shades of anxiety at the heart of which is mistrust of God. Whatever the emotion, it is rooted in the unbelief which blocks the channel and disturbs our peace.
Paul’s prescription for restoring our peace begins with a “do not”. Anxiety is not something we can switch on and off like a light switch. Anxiety will only go when it is identified, its source uncovered, and it is replaced with peace since two opposite emotions cannot exist side-by-side in our hearts.
The first step to restoring peace is to acknowledge the anxiety that disturbed it in the first place. Until we allow ourselves to feel and acknowledge that anxiety, we will not be ready to admit our unbelief. Praying about an issue without uncovering the root of our anxiety will not be a solution nor will it receive an answer since the answer will be blocked by unbelief.
The second step is to recognise that our problem is not the issue but the fear that the issue has raised, for example, you have a financial deadline to meet and no money to meet it. You think that the lack of money is your problem. If you had the money to pay your debt, you would have no anxiety. However, the next time a similar situation happens, the anxiety will return which means that the anxiety has not been dealt with. It is still hanging around, waiting to surface again the next time a financial need arises.
The third step is to identify and admit that it is your unwillingness to trust God that triggered your anxiety. God’s peace is only in your heart when you trust in Him and it is His peace that lifts you above your circumstances so that, no matter what happens, His peace stands guard over your heart and shuts out the unwelcome intrusion of fear, anxiety, insecurity etc.
Paul concludes by telling us how to maintain that peace along the bumpy road of life’s adversities. Anxiety begins in the mind when we are uncertain of God’s love for us. To counteract that, we need to fill our minds with the truths that assure us of His love. Think on the good things with gratitude. Then He will stand guard over our hearts and champion us in every circumstance.