Mensa Otabil - God's Peace Guards Our Minds
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This week, we have been talking about God’s peace, and we need a ton of God’s peace in these times that we live in. So we go to Philippians chapter 4, verses 6 and 7. «Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.»
It’s good for us to have concerns about life and to think about what to do, plan, and all of that. But sometimes, we get overwhelmed by what is happening, and instead of just being concerned, we’re worrying, panicking, and feeling anxious. Instead of simply planning for the future, we are so overwhelmed by the things coming against us. That’s what the Bible is against. The Bible is not against us thinking about the future and planning for it. The passage states that when we come to God, we must not come with anxiety. «Be anxious for nothing» means don’t be anxious.
So, God’s peace protects us from anxiety. Anxiety is life’s natural response to a challenge. Of course, when something is not going right in your life, you’re going to start thinking about it. However, you must also moderate how you think about it so it doesn’t lead you to a point of desperation in your actions, where you are always thinking about the worst outcome. We have to come under God’s peace so that we can move away from anxiety. The passage also tells us that God’s peace comes through prayer. When we pray, we are telling God we know you can take care of this. We know you are bigger than this. We know you are Lord over this. We know you are the ruler over this situation.
So, prayer is an expression that gives us peace. Sometimes, just by praying about a problem, you find the peace of God, and your stress goes down. You are able to think clearly about what you should do with your life. The Bible says we should pray with thanksgiving. The prayer of thanksgiving is important. Why is it important? Because thanksgiving is a declaration that you know God has done it for you, that God has held you through it. When we pray with thanksgiving, we express confidence in God, and that is one way that the peace of God helps us deal with life. Finally, it says that after we’ve been anxious for nothing and prayed with thanksgiving, the peace of God shall keep or guard our hearts and minds.
The word used there for guard is likened to a military patrol on duty, a garrison that protects property. It says that when we’re anxious for nothing and pray with thanksgiving, God will send a patrol of peace around us, so that in the midst of chaos, we would enjoy the peace of God, which, as the passage states, surpasses all understanding. Look at what is going on all around us; it seems like our world is going through a chaotic moment. Our nation is experiencing a lot of crises and difficulties.
How do we survive that? The peace of God has to guard our minds. The peace of God has to surround our minds, and that’s what we pray for: that in the midst of all the chaos, as we think about where our daily bread will come from, how we’re going to find money for transportation, how we’re going to pay our bills, and how we’re going to survive, we just go to God with thanksgiving and prayer and allow His peace to keep us cocooned. In the midst of chaos, we would find the rest that we need in our hearts. May the Lord be our peace in these times as we push forward in life.
Let’s pray. Say with me: Heavenly Father, thank you for your peace that guards my heart and mind. Protect me from anxiety attacks, in Jesus' name. Amen and amen.