The law of the Lord is perfect, restoring the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.
–Psalm 19:7
If you want a firsthand account of somebody who was at peace no matter what was happening around him, read Paul’s letter to the Philippians. Paul was in prison, potentially facing execution. In addition, there were other Christians slandering him and trying to make a name for themselves at his expense. Paul didn’t worry about those things. Instead, he wrote, “My circumstances have turned out for the greater progress of the gospel” (1:12), and, “I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am” (4:11).
What was Paul’s secret for maintaining peace? He stayed in regular communication with God. In Philippians 4, Paul wrote about two spiritual disciplines in his life that allowed him to experience God’s peace. One discipline was prayer–that is, speaking to God. Verses 6–7 say, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Just as soldiers march around a fortress to secure it, when you pray about whatever is worrying you, God’s peace will march around the fortress of your mind and protect it from the enemy’s attacks.
The second spiritual discipline Paul mentioned is meditating on God’s Word–that is, allowing God to speak to him. Verse 8 says, “Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.” In this verse, I think Paul was talking about God’s Word. Notice how the psalmist described God’s Word in a similar way: “The law of the Lord is perfect, restoring the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes” (19:7–8). Reading God’s Word brings God’s peace into our lives. That’s because the Bible is a record of God’s faithfulness to His people. Since God doesn’t change, we can be assured that the same God who was faithful in the past will be faithful to you and me.
Maintaining communication with God freed Paul from anxious thoughts while he was in prison. He wasn’t consumed by his problems; instead, he was consumed by what God was doing for him through his problems. The same can be true for you. You can experience the supernatural peace of God when you make the decision to let the peace of Christ have the final say in your life.
