Peace That Passes All Understanding

Philippians 4:6–7 teaches that if we will come to God during our difficult times and pray with a heart of thanksgiving, then His peace, which passes understanding, will be ours.

What is peace that passes understanding? It’s a peace that God gives us in the midst of life’s storms. When our circumstances say we should be frantic, anxious, and worried, we are at peace instead because we know God loves and cares for us.

I love peace. I lived the first 40 years of my life without it, and now I don’t think life is nearly as fulfilling if we don’t have it. I will do almost anything to have peace. I confront things when I need to, but I value peace so much that I am willing to give up being anxious, worried, angry, unforgiving, offended, or upset in order to have it.

Like most people, there was a season in my life that I prayed for peace, but it seemed to evade me most of the time. I occasionally enjoyed peace when my circumstances were calm and suitable, but that was not often. I always prayed for my circumstances to change, but I needed to pray that I would change. I needed to be stronger and more stable instead of so easily affected by circumstances.

Often, we hear people say, “I’ve lost my peace,” and this is a true statement. They have peace because Jesus has given it to us. But people lose their peace because of their circumstances, and then they need to find it again.

Jesus says in John 14:27 (AMPC): Peace I leave with you; My [own] peace I now give and bequeath to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. [Stop allowing yourselves to be agitated and disturbed; and do not permit yourselves to be fearful and intimidated and cowardly and unsettled.]

Studying this scripture was a turning point for me. I learned that Jesus has given me His peace, and I can have a quality of peace unlike anything the world can offer. However, this verse showed me that I also have a part to play. In order to enter into the peace Jesus gave to me, I had to stop allowing myself to be agitated, disturbed, anxious and worried. God had done His part by giving me peace, but I saw that I wasn’t doing my part. I prayed only as a last resort, after I had done everything else I knew to do, and I complained instead of being thankful. When I did pray, I prayed for my troublesome circumstance to go away instead of praying for the Holy Spirit to strengthen me on the inside so I could endure with good temper whatever came my way.

Peace—not eliminating circumstances we don’t like—should be our goal. Because if we have peace, it doesn’t matter whether our circumstances are pleasant or unpleasant. We remain the same. Peace is not the absence of problems; it is trusting God in the midst of life’s storms.

Remember, whenever anxiety strikes, God is only a prayer away and He is available to help you the moment you call on Him. He promises that no matter what you are going through, you can receive His wonderful gift of peace right in the midst of it.

Adapted from the book The Answer to Anxiety by Joyce Meyer. Copyright 2023 by Joyce Meyer. Published by Hachette Book Group, Inc. All rights reserved.