A Piece of Peace

“And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Philippians 4:7

Peace.  How many of us want it?  How many of us NEED it?  In our fast-paced lives, peace can be elusive.  We hear about the peace of God in sermons.  We see people lighting candles and dimming the lights in search for peace.  But do we really draw on the peace of God that’s readily accessible to us?

Paul is writing a letter to the Corinthian church.  Apparently, things have gotten a little heated between two women in the church.  I’m sure you can relate to experiencing some contention in church.  We’re human so we often disagree on issues.  And it can be hard to work alongside someone that you disagree with.  Paul encourages the church, the women’s community, to help them get along. 

He further gives the church instruction to be anxious for nothing.  Hold up bud.  Have you never been between two women who are pillars of the church that have discord?  If getting between them doesn’t cause anxiety, nothing else will…LOL.  Brother Paul, that’s sound advice.  But how do we really do that in a practical way.

Paul does not leave us wondering or guessing how to access this calm demeanor.  He tells us how to grab ahold of this peace.  You ready for the practical advice that will transform your life?  You sure?  Drum roll……Paul tells us to pray.

Some of you may be a little discouraged by the remedy.  Maybe in your mind, it doesn’t seem to be enough.  I have been more intentional about my prayer life this week.  I scheduled a time to read my Bible.  I set aside time to just sit in silence and pray.  Every day.  I’ve taken time to be with God.  And guess what ya’ll.  It works.

I’m good at being faithful with prayer for small bursts.  Then I get swept into the busyness of life.  I get swirled into my spinning funnel of activities.  And every time, I lose more peace.  Reading these verses in my quiet time has encouraged me to remain committed to my alone time with God.  He has unlimited peace waiting on me.  A bank with a never-ending supply.  How foolish would it be to not make my daily withdrawals by spending time talking AND listening to Him?  #wepreach