The Peace that Transcends all Understanding [Defined!]
Philippians 4:7 reads, "And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." I think most of us would say that it sounds pretty good to be filled with a peace that transcends all understanding. Who wouldn't love to be filled with a peace that guards our hearts and minds? What if I said that the answer to finding that peace lies within our trials?
The Peace that transcends all understanding does not come from having everything work out exactly as we want it.
The peace that transcends all understanding comes from knowing that no matter what life throws at us, we can still have joy when we know that our victory lies in Jesus Christ and not in our circumstances.I recently listened to a message in which I heard the pastor say, "If you get a hold of this one thing, it will change your life. No man, no woman, no leader, no government, no nation, no devil, no teacher, no employer, no pastor can ever get you out of the will of God. The only one that can get you out of the will of God is you."After a lot of wrestling and reflection on this statement, I finally came to understand what this pastor was trying to reveal to his audience. He said that if we become too focused on our circumstances, then our joy and peace will come and go depending on the outcomes of those circumstances. However, when we shift our focus to Jesus and his will for our life, then our circumstances have no impact on our joy and peace.
Question for you: Are you chasing after temporary pleasures or lifelong joy?
We are untouchable if our joy and peace are rooted in Jesus Christ and the gift of eternal life that he offers us. Jesus himself encourages us in this in John chapter 16 verse 33 when he says to his disciples, "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world, you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."The first chapter of James tells us to consider it pure joy when we face trials of many kinds because the testing of our faith produces perseverance. It goes on to say, "Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."It is easy to accept that there are going to be trials in life. Most of us have seen enough of them in our lives to know that is the truth. However, when we are in the midst of the trials, it is not as easy to accept that we need to remain joyful.The key to remaining joyful is to focus on the fact that Jesus has already overcome whatever trial you face. He has already given us the gift of eternal life, a gift so wonderful that it is beyond our comprehension. When we understand this, victory is inevitable no matter how tough our present situation.