Worry, Anxiety, No Peace

Philippians 4-Part 3
Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.   Philippians 4:6-7


LET IT GLOW

Silence, hush, stillness, calmness, quiet, rest, peacefulness, serenity, tranquility-these are all synonyms for peace. Noise, agitation, disturbance, excitement, tumult-theses are antonyms, the opposite of peace.
(Webster's Thesaurus)

Just give me a little peace and quiet. Who hasn't said or thought that? Peace.  Who doesn't want it or need it? And right now? Whether it's peace in the family, peace on the job, or peace in our own heart we all have wanted peace at one time or another. What is peace? We use the word loosely, don't we?

The Greek word for peace is the word eirene. It means peace of mind, tranquility. (The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament)

Tranquility-that sounds good. What is it? According to the Thesaurus, it's calmness, stillness, silence, quietude, hush. Give me some of that. Do I have to go to the desert in order to have it? Paul didn't. He was in house arrest; he had been in a dungeon; he had been beaten. During all this, he had peace-the peace of God. (verse 7)
-This peace is a characteristic of God. It's a fruit of the Spirit. He is the source of peace.
-It's the kind that passeth all understanding. We can have peace even when we don't understand our
  situation.
-It exceeds knowledge. Paul was highly educated for his time, so he had plenty, but knowledge was
  insufficient sometimes. Even when we don't understand the whys, Christians can experience peace.
-It will guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. It will keep things in the  right order.

Why or how does a Christian experience peace in difficult circumstances? I found the answer in verse 7 of The Amplified Bible: "And God's peace [shall be yours, that tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and being content with its eartly lot whatever sort that is, that peace] which transcends all understanding shall garrison and mount guard over your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus."

So the answer is, Christians are trusting and having faith in Christ for salvation and  provision; not fearing; is content with their circumstance because they believe God is Sovereign, in control. If I do this, I will experience God's peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will guard my heart and mind as I live in Christ Jesus. (NLT)

Do what? Well, it refers back to verse 6 for the answer.


LET IT GROW

First of all, verse 6 in KJV says, "Be careful for nothing."
The Amplified Bible says it this way, "Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything."
New Living Translation says, "Don't worry about anything.
The New American Standard states, "Be anxious for nothing."
The New Testament by Charles Williams says, "Stop being worried about anything."

Okay, after reading it 5 times, it seeps into my  brain-Linda, stop worrying, being anxious about this problem. All right, I stop worrying. Now what?
Read the rest of the verse above in KJV.
NLT  directs us to "pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done."
So the answer is prayer, petitioning God, laying the problem at His feet, trusting God to take care of it His way and in His time, and thanking Him. Easier said than done. I have done this, but find myself picking up the problem off the altar and carrying it back with me instead of leaving it there with God. Do you? No wonder I don't have peace.
(Practice makes perfect, they say. I better get started.)

Rock Warren said in his book, The Purpose Driven Life, "When God's at the center of your life, you worship. When He's not, you worry. Worry is the warning light that God has been shoved to the sideline. The moment you put Him back at the center, you will have peace again."

Henry Blackaby in his devotional book, Experiencing God Day-By-Day tells us, "Paul said there is nothing that should cause a child of God to worry. God will not necessarily take your problems away, but He will carry the load for you. This peace is not just for those who "handle stress well"; it is for everyone! God's Word clearly indicates that there is nothing you can face that is too difficult, too troubling, or too fearful for God."


LET IT GO

So I must let go and let God.

 Lay down the problem at God's feet, leave it there for Him to handle.

Stop dwelling on this problem.

When I do, then the peace and joy that I desire will be mine.