Oh how I love the Word of God. It never grows old, boring or stale. It is relatable, relational and completely reliable. It provides wisdom, comfort, truth, hope, and exceedingly more, including the path to well established peace. And to be precise, the peace I am referring to is a highly specified, unmistakably different, unique category of peace that is readily available to every believer in Jesus. To launch this topic, I’d like to begin by stating that I find it extremely significant that of the many gifts Jesus could have chosen to leave His disciples before His ascension, He purposefully selected the gift of peace. Already holding the undefeated title of Ultimate Gift Giver, beginning with the gift of Himself, additionally Jesus left a most treasured gift for his friends. And one that He knew that they, (and we), would need the most….

The gift of His peace

I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid. John‬ ‭14‬:‭27‬ ‭(NLT)‬‬

This verse reveals two foundational truths regarding the gift of peace:

First, it is not affiliated or in alliance with anything pertaining to the world’s system or methods for acquiring peace. And second, the knowledge, acceptance and personal commitment to walk in this peace, provides confidence and assurance in the midst of fear. To be clear, this verse does not state there is no valid reason for fear, nor does it suggest there is nothing worth fretting about, rather it simply says don’t, as in don’t be of that mind set; the mindset of fear. Which leads to a further critical element that factors into the equation of peace; the mind.

Guard your thoughts…

There is no debating that information stored in our minds, will eventually either negatively or positively impact our thoughts, actions and emotional responses. And it is for this reason the Apostle Paul speaks of intentionally programming the mind, heart and spirit with Godly values and virtues that lead to peace, beginning with the virtue of prayer…

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. Philippians‬ ‭4‬:‭6‬-‭7‬ (‭NLT‬‬)

What an absolutely beautiful passage of scripture. I honestly feel encouraged and empowered just by reading this. I believe the word instead is the pivotal word in this phrase as it implies choice. Stated another way might be something like… There will always exist circumstances that are cause for worry, but worry is a counterproductive time waster, accomplishing absolutely nothing, so instead, (choice), take your cares, problems and fears to God in prayer, and He will exchange them for peace.

Perhaps this seems overly simplistic, maybe somewhat unrealistic, or potentially even harsh, but read on, as the verse continues by outlining a positive, practical approach to counteract worry.

Programming the mind….

…Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you. Philippians‬ ‭4‬:‭8‬-‭9‬ ‭(NLT)‬‬

This is truly golden counsel! I love the word fix in this particular version as it implies intentionally centering, focusing and directing thoughts in a positive manner. And honestly, if peace is the desired outcome, then we must commit to this practice. And lastly before I move on from this verse, I also need to highlight the phrase, keep putting into practice, which is critical, as if your bent is worry, and your mind has been programmed over time to respond to adversity, difficulty and challenges with worry, then it takes practice to form a new habit. But the time invested in practice is time well spent as it eventually leads to a far greater measure of peace in your life.

The following are two additional verses that support the strong connection between thoughts and peace…

Those who love Your law have great peace; Nothing makes them stumble. Psalms‬ ‭119‬:‭165‬ ‭(AMP)‬‬

You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. Isaiah‬ ‭26‬:‭3‬ ‭(ESV)‬‬

Guard your Heart…

In addition to our thought life, we must also give serious thought to our talk life, as the words we speak reveal the intents, thoughts, attitudes and values stored in our hearts…

…For whatever is in your heart determines what you say. Matthew‬ ‭12‬:‭34‬ (‭NLT)‬‬

This is why it is absolutely critical to protect the heart at all costs.

Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life. Proverbs‬ ‭4‬:‭23‬ ‭(NLT‬‬)

In the same manner that we care for our physical bodies, by maintaining a proper diet, daily exercise and sufficient water intake, we must also be equally diligent in protecting our hearts as the words we speak contain great power…

The tongue can bring death or life; those who love to talk will reap the consequences. Proverbs‬ ‭18‬:‭21‬ ‭(NLT‬‬)

Speak your peace…

Along with releasing words that foster peace, we must also use our words authoritatively by confronting fear and physically speaking to it. And Jesus demonstrated this throughout His earthly ministry, and on one particular boating outing he even spoke to a storm…

One day he and his disciples got in a boat. “Let’s cross the lake,” He said. And off they went. It was smooth sailing, and he fell asleep. A terrific storm came up suddenly on the lake. Water poured in, and they were about to capsize. They woke Jesus: “Master, Master, we’re going to drown!” Getting to His feet, He told the wind, “Silence!” and the waves, “Quiet down!” They did it. The lake became smooth as glass. Luke‬ ‭8‬:‭22‬-‭24‬ ‭(MSG‬‬)

Obviously Jesus wasn’t sleepy on the boat in need of a nap, rather He was using the frightening storm to illustrate a kingdom principle to His friends which has a twofold application. The first being, if Jesus is in your boat, there is no need to fear, and for us today this serves as a reminder that the Presence of God is actually with us. Secondly, we have been granted authority in the powerful Name of Jesus to speak to the fears we face, be it relational, financial, spiritual or physical. At the very mention of His Name, His peaceful Presence is released, providing a supernatural calm in the midst of trials, hardships and difficult circumstances.

A final word…

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful. Colossians‬ ‭3‬:‭15‬ (NASB)

I’ve purposefully chosen to end this writing with the verse above for two distinct reasons. First, it’s one of my favorite scriptures, and second I believe this verse beautifully supports this topic. The words are rather simple but the implication is actually quite powerful…

The first word that I am drawn to when I read this verse is actually not peace, which would be the logical choice, nor is it rule or heart, both strong words, and it’s actually not even Christ, which would seemingly be the best choice and for all the right reasons. But for me the word that I find to be of most significance in this phrase is actually let. I believe included in this tiny action word is a message of resolve and an unwavering commitment to allow, grant, or permit peace, and not just any peace, but far more notably, the peace of Christ, to rule. I know it’s not always the easiest choice, and admittedly it’s not the most natural choice, but it is always the best, and the wisest choice to make. While we can’t always choose our circumstances, we can in fact choose how we respond to them. We can allow fear, anxiety or worry to rule, that choice is ours to make, and it’s certainly an option, or we can opt instead for the far better choice, the one that leads to peace of mind and heart by choosing Christ.

Let Peace Rule

Personal reflection…

Read Philippians 4:8 & 9, reviewing the itemized list of thoughts that are worthy of praise.

Next, record each descriptive word mentioned in this list and next to each word include an example that is personal to you. For instance, true might be God’s Word. Perhaps include a scripture that is meaningful to you. Honorable may be an act or a person of integrity. Record the act or the name of the person next to the word, and continue with this practice until the list is completed.

Lastly, write out a prayer to God thanking Him for the gift of His peace. Then close your prayer with a personal commitment to allow His peace to rule your heart and mind.