‘The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, 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 understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.’ (Philippians 4:6-7 ESV)

How do we discover God’s abundant peace in the middle of your toughest trials? Let’s look first at the context of Paul’s letter to the Philippians and his declaration about the peace that surpasses all understanding. Where was Paul when he wrote the letter? It is so important to understand that Paul wrote these words while suffering with great physical pain, but in spite of his pain he was willing to give thanks to God from the depth of his prison cell, even in the middle of his toughest circumstances. Paul knew that only God could guard his heart and mind, even in his time of isolation and loneliness. Why? Well, let’s look at three ways that Paul managed to keep strong against all the odds, that can help us today to find real peace that surpasses all understanding:

• BY HEARING GOD’S VOICE AND ABIDING IN GOD’S WORD: 

By hearing God’s voice and abiding in His Word, Paul was able to abide daily with his Lord, for to abide means to ‘stay’ or ‘remain’. Yes, to abide in the Lord means that we continually receive, believe and trust that Jesus is all we need. We should never forget that just as it was for Jesus’ early disciples, our faith will also be tested. So, when you feel the heat of the test, that’s when you must intentionally keep His Word in you, which means that His Word must be our constant guide and compass. When His Word dwells within us it will shape our thoughts, words and actions so that we can bear not just fruit, nor more fruit; but much fruit, and fruit that will remain.

• BY NOT MAKING ANXIETY AND WORRY OUR FOCUS:

Paul’s declaration was, ‘Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God’ (Philippians 4:6 NIV). Even though he was in prison he took the focus from himself and still encouraged the Philippians to pray, to rejoice, and not to be anxious for anything. In Scripture Jesus talks about faith versus anxiety: ‘Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?’ (Matthew 6:27 NIV). He continues saying in verse 28, ‘and why do you worry about clothes? Consider how the lilies of the field grow: they do not labour or spin.’ In other words, He’s telling His followers that He’s got it covered and if they have any doubt they need only notice the carefree attitude plants have. God commands us not to wrestle over problems but rather to leave our troubles, stresses and concerns to Him for His personal attention. And as we ask God for solutions we should do so with a grateful heart, demonstrating that we trust totally in Him to be the God who answers prayer. That’s what we call faith, so simple and yet so difficult for us as we often choose to stress over our problems. Struggling over our worries assumes we have more power and control than we do, but true freedom from worry comes from releasing them to God. So here is my advice: let them go!

• BY SERVING OTHERS WILLINGLY AND CHEERFULLY: 

Paul’s focus was not on himself but in spite of his own circumstances he was willing to encourage others. He did that by intentionally writing a letter to the Philippian church, so let me encourage you to find a way to serve someone else and that will redirect your attention from yourself and allow you to bless and care for someone who God has placed on your heart. Over the years, for me this has been texting words of encouragement as well as scriptures, writing blogs, recording messages and praying for others, and I can honestly tell you it definitely takes your focus away from your own problems, difficulties, and anxieties. Why don’t you try it for yourself? So today, intentionally abide in God’s Word, don’t make anxiety and worry your focus and invest your time in blessing others, just as Paul did in the middle of his own trials. Lastly, remember:

• The Lord is nearby! 

• Don’t be anxious about anything. 

• Instead, with thanksgiving tell your requests to God. 

• And experience the peace that surpasses all understanding that will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.