The (not so secret) Secret of Peace
- Jan 9, 2016
- 2 min read
I remember anxiously sitting in a prayer room while I was going through a particularly difficult time in my life. It was one of those situations where I had really been mistreated, but because no one had shot me yet, my pastor was not all that inclined to do much about the situation (avoiding conflict is always the answer, right?) I looked at a beautiful painting in the window that read, "And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." So what was I doing wrong? I was a Christian, but where was my peace?
I was still a relatively young Christian, and I did not know about the whole "don't take Scripture out of context" thing yet. But it didn't take me long before I realized that "And" in Philippians 4:7 meant that it was directly connected to Philippians 4:6. So I grabbed my Bible and decided to read the whole paragraph (shocking, I know. But these were desperate times.) And then everything made sense, which usually happens when I listen to God.
Paul tells the Philippians, "do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God." And then, we get that awesome all-encompassing peace. So the secret to peace, which isn't all that secret if you read the whole paragraph, is simple: run into Daddy-God's embrace in prayer, thank him for all of his goodness, and then tell him about everything that needs fixing in your life. When you do this, looking into the gaze of the lover of your soul, his strength will become your own, even before he answers a single request.
This is simple, yes, but desperately hard. When I am upset, bitter, anxious, or worried, sitting silently in the quiet place feels like trying to lift a thousand pounds. But I've found that through faith in the power of prayer, bringing intentionality to my prayer life, and by having people around me who are faithful to point me towards the Father's embrace, it gets much easier. I can honestly say that in the most stressful situations, after I convince myself to quiet my soul and lean into God, I find that peace, even if does take a few hours or days.
For years I have worked to see the church make prayer its number one priority. There are a lot of good reasons why she should do this, but in Philippians I found a reason that was a bit surprising. In our world, there are many things to be anxious or worried about, and many of us simply bear the burden. But what if you made a list right now of everything that causes you stress, and then decided to pray into all of those areas until you felt the peace that passes all understanding? I can tell you, it will take some serious space on your daily planner. But is it worth it? I think so. In God's peace, I am a better father, husband, teacher, worship leader, administrator, and friend. So for me, it's just another reason why prayer is the most important conversation I'll have today (or any day).
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