Words of Encouragement
- FaithHopeLove
- Mar 7, 2021
- 2 min read
Peace, Philippians 4:4-7
Where’s your peaceful place? Indoors or out? Listening to music, or the sounds of nature? Maybe an absence of sound is what you like best: peace … and quiet.
As I sit in my garden now, enjoying both reflective music and the sound of birdsong from the trees around me, the world feels at peace. But it is not. The sun shines on me today, but that is not always so and certainly not for everyone in this moment. So how can we gain that lasting peace of which Paul writes – in every situation?
If you look up the antonyms (opposites) of peace, you find words such as hatred, discord and disagreement but also frustration, worry and distress. The first are are to do with war and conflict, the second with inner feelings and our state of mind. They’re strong emotions which can colour our view on the world around us and affect the way we treat, speak to, and interact with other people. When we’re anxious, we tend not to be gentle – on ourselves or towards others.
The peace of God is like a blanket. I love the word transcends – it’s almost onomatopoeic in my opinion – and it means to exceed, elevate or to be above.
When God’s peace transcends our inner thoughts and turmoil, it wraps around us like a blanket.
It's like a shield, to guard others from our conflict and frustration but also to protect us from from further worry and distress. That’s not to say we must bury our unpeacefulness – that’s not healthy or helpful – but instead we can be an encouragement to others as we demonstrate how God helps us exchange our anxiety for gentleness, our worry for peace.
Peace is a fruit and, like all fruits, it must be nurtured in order to grow. But it is also a gift from the Holy Spirit who enables that growth. The more peace flourishes in our lives – whatever the circumstances – the better able we are to be an encouragement to others. And the more confident we can become in pointing people to Christ, our guardian, protector and peace-giver.