Philippians 4:6, 7 “Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving; let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses every thought, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”
One of the things the Bible helps us understand is that there are different types of peace available to us. There is the peace of God or the God given peace and there is the peace of the world or the type of peace everyone may have experienced from time to time, living in the world.
Besides their different sources and origin, are there really any other differences between the peace that God gives and the peace that the world gives? The truth is yes, there are.
The peace of God is beyond comprehension and this means that unlike the peace that everyone experiences, which comes when things are undisturbed and when there are no conflicts, the peace of God has no correlation with any external influences and is available regardless of what is going on around us.
The peace of God goes beyond what one is experiencing on the outside which also means it goes way beyond the feeling of happiness or the feeling of having peace in the heart to mean that there is peace in the mind as well. To put the peace of God in perspective it can be described as an internal peace because unlike the world-given peace, that starts from the outside and influences the heart only, the peace of God starts from the mind and then influences the heart and in turn then radiate on the outside. Simply put, the peace of God is rest of mind.
One final way the peace of God is different from the peace of the world is in the sense that it is a fruit of the spirit. This peace comes only to those who rely on the holy spirit of God to lead them. When a believer relies on the Holy Spirit through constant meditation and trust in the word of God and through prayer and supplication with thanksgiving that person’s life will begin to produce the peace of God as one of the results or fruit.
So how does one receive the peace of God?
First and foremost, one must be born again and one must have accepted Jesus as Lord and savior to receive the peace of God. This is because God will only send His holy spirit in the name of Jesus and only to those who believe in His name.
Secondly, once one becomes born again there will be need to place one’s total trust in God and no longer in the way circumstances around us is going. This is because the peace that comes with our circumstance will also go with a change in that circumstance but when our peace comes from an absolute trust in God then our peace would be perfect and steadfast no matter what.
Finally, we must be willing to accept that the peace of God is not for others to understand and it doesn’t need the approval of others. This means that those who have not experienced this peace may try to discourage us or may try to deny it but as long as we are committed to letting God be our peace then it doesn’t matter who understands it
John 14:26, 27 “But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit—the Father will send Him in My name—will teach you all things and remind you of everything I have told you. ‘Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Your heart must not be troubled or fearful.’”
Isaiah 26:3 “You will keep the mind that is dependent on You in perfect peace,
for it is trusting in You.”
Galatians 5:22-25 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, self-control. Against such things there is no law. Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, we must also follow the Spirit.
Temitope Talabi is a founding member of The Trent Voices currently reside in Austin, TX. She graduated with a PharmD from Texas Southern University in Houston, TX. She works as a community pharmacist and spends her spare time writing to build and encourage others through the word of God. Temitope is also currently working on a series of self-help books created to empower people to take charge of their health and wellness, the first of which is scheduled to be released early next year.
The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author.
