The Presence of Peace


Read Philippians 4:4-9 

What does it mean to have peace? In this section of Philippians, Paul is imploring believers to cultivate peace in the midst of trials. Many of us in the church have likely been told that “giving your anxieties to God” is the antidote to your pain. I am sure many of you, like me, have some baggage with this.  

For many years, my faith was more about knowing Bible verses than it was about knowing God. So when hard things started happening, I was pointed to this passage that teaches us what to do with worry. However, without an understanding of God’s heart and the experience of His presence, I interpreted verse 6 as God’s preference and permission to deny the pain of life’s trials. But when Paul says “don’t worry, instead pray,” he isn’t telling us to disengage with our circumstances and think about happy things—he’s actually teaching us to engage well with God in our circumstances. When Paul tells us to rejoice and pray with thanksgiving, he’s teaching us to engage our full selves with God’s whole heart. Remember, lament is a form of prayer which shows us how to cry out and praise God with the same breath. 

As believers we are often called to respond to things in a manner that seems disproportionate to the situation: “if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also,” “love your enemies,” “consider troubles an opportunity for great joy.” What if these seemingly incongruent responses are actually an invitation to know God more, not just please Him?  

In this passage, Paul is not just giving us rules to follow, he is inviting us to engage with a way of life that actually lets us know and experience God in our bodies. In verses 7 and 9, he promises that the presence of the God of peace in our minds and hearts will exceed what we can understand. This means that when we engage with the way of Jesus and cultivate peace in our minds and bodies, there is something we experience of God that we don’t yet know and can’t yet fully understand. What a beautiful invitation! 

For Reflection:

  • What worries can you take to God in prayer so that His promise of peace of can be made real in your life?

Nativity Building Activity: Place the magi in another room. These travelers remind us that Jesus’ followers would be from all nations. In this week’s Scripture, we see that Mary understood this, too. One day, we will all glorify the Lord together with people from all nations on earth! 

by Emily Capp


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