Beyond All Understanding

Read Philippians 4:6-7

First day of school.

First baseball game.

First dance.

First kiss.

First job interview.

First day on the job.

First new car.

Big test.

Performance evaluations.

Big game.

Bills.

College.

Layoffs.

Drought.

Snow and Ice.

What do these have in common?  These are things or events that might cause us to be a bit anxious.  They might cause us to worry somewhat. There could be a little stress.

Of course, these things can also be cause for excitement and anticipation.  Snow and ice may lead us to worry about road conditions, but the kids are thinking, “Snow Day!”

What makes us worry sometimes and get excited others?

Why did we grow up approaching Christmas morning with anticipation and excitement?  Why did we dread the spelling test?

Do not let your hearts be troubled.  Do not be afraid.

Is this not counsel for every situation?  Should we not have peace in every circumstance?  Why must we worry?

Does God not intend good for us?  He has good plans for us.  His plans are to prosper us and not to harm us.  Why do we worry?

Jesus said that we would have trouble in the world.  That’s a given.  It’s going to happen.  This is no surprise to most of us.  We will have trouble in the world, but Jesus said to take heart, to take courage.  He had overcome the world.

Are we still afraid?  Are we still worried?  Do we not remember that God did not give us a spirit of fear?  Instead, he gave us power, love, and a sound mind.  A sound mind is not a frantic mind.  A sound mind does not give us answers to the pop quiz over the chapter that we didn’t read. 

It is the mind of Christ anchored firmly within us when the world wants to take hold and give us its mind—one of fear, selfishness, and worry about everything.

Are we people of fear.  I hope not.  Are we not to be strong and courageous?  Have we not kicked discouragement to the curb?  Because of the cross, discouragement and despair have no purchase in our lives.  Do we not know that God is with us everywhere that we go to the end of the age?

Why do we still worry?  We know the answer to what Jesus asked his disciples.  We cannot add a single hour to our lives by worry.  But many still worry.

Wouldn’t it be nice if we just read the Bible verse and it was instantly who we were and what we did?

And Judas hanged himself.

Let’s just say, the words of Jesus.  What if we just automatically did everything he said?

If you eye offends you, pluck it out.

What if instead of asking the word to do all of the work, we studied it and put it into practice after having internalized the message from God.  What if that was easier, more natural?

We are to be a new creation. We should have a new nature.  We are born of the Spirit and filled with the Spirit.  Why do I still wrestle with my old nature?

Why is it that trusting in the Lord with all of my heart and leaning on my own understanding is an ongoing wrestling match?

Maybe, we are still in the transformation process.  Really?  If I was a caterpillar, I would be a butterfly by now.  That’s correct.  You would be a beautiful butterfly but not the crown of God’s creation.

You would not be undergoing a process of being made in the image and likeness of Christ Jesus.

But we are being changed—transformed.  Some fight it and cling to things of this world and its ideas.  Some are ready to move this process along quickly and are engaged in the renewing of our minds.  Either way, we are being transformed and there are growing pains.

So, what are we take for the pain?  What do we do?

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

The directive is don’t be anxious.  The scope is about anything or situation.  The logistics are that in everything and every situation, we come to God with:

·      Prayer

·      Petition

·      Thanksgiving

I will start with thanksgiving because for me, when I begin my conversation with God and give him thanks, somehow the worry evaporates much more quickly.

I thank God for my life—a miracle that we take for granted all too often.  This sacred gift that the world around us values less and less, is cause for thanksgiving to flow from my heart across my lips.

I thank God for his promise of life eternal—God wants me to share eternity with him.  My mental and physical settings automatically go to their cool beans setting. 

In similar thought, I thank God again for the blood of Jesus.  I thank God that he loved and loves me enough to shed his own blood for me so that I could be in right standing with him forever.

I haven’t asked God for anything yet and I am already feeling better.

I thank God for life abundant.  This part is more of an adventure.  Abundance often comes in the midst of struggle and hardship.

I thank God for purpose.  I thank him that I will never live a day without purpose.  I will never wake up wondering, just what is my life all about.

I haven’t asked God for anything yet and I am already feeling better.

I thank God for those who serve him that I know well.  I sing, though none go with me, I still will follow, but it’s much better in the company of the saints instead of going it alone.  For that, those saints who serve so faithfully, I give God thanks.

And then I thank God for whomever and whatever is on my heart.  It could just be a sunrise or sunset. It could be healing.  It could be the completion of safe travels.  If my heart tells me to say, thank you, then I give thanks to God.

And then I come to my prayer.  It’s what’s going on in my life.  Sometimes when I’m in the middle of my thoughts about what’s happening with me, I stop and give thanks again, that’s just how it works out sometimes.

My prayer is my conversation with God and much of it comes with just listening.

And then I come to my requests, my petitions.  It seems like there is always something that we need from God.  Some of these things might be what we are worried about.  Some of these things might have us a little anxious.

God tells us to approach his throne of grace boldly.  Come to him with confidence.  So, I am bold in my requests.  I ask for what I think I need.

Sometimes, I get exactly what I ask for, and at other times, it’s something different.

Sometimes, I have to wait for what seems like a very long time to get my answer, but I always get one thing almost instantly.  Sometimes it comes upon me before I get through praying.  What is it?

Peace.  We are not orphaned in this world.  We have God’s Spirit and we have God’s peace.

I have come before the Creator of the universe and we have talked.  I usually spend a lot of time being still in his presence, and God gives me peace.

Mind you, the issue that I petitioned God to resolve for me might still be unresolved.  It might go a different way than I thought it would.  I might not like God’s answer; yet, I have peace.

It is a peace that I do not understand.  If I was worried before, I should still be worried now.  It seems that nothing has changed.  I’m still waiting on the answer to my petition.  The facts of the matter seem unchanged; yet, I have peace.

This is our promise:

And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Analytically, I should still be anxious.  The facts of the matter tell me that I had better be worried.  Logic dictates that my heart should be troubled, but I have peace.

It is peace that goes beyond understanding and we are told that it guards our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

That’s some cool verbiage—guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.  What does that mean?

That means that even though we have not been fully transformed by the renewing of our mind, God gives us peace as if we had been.

Even though we still have weekly skirmishes between trusting in the Lord with all of your heart and leaning on our own understanding, God gives us assurance as if we had hit the 100% mark in trusting in the Lord.

He gives us peace that our own hearts and minds have not yet achieved.  He takes us to this place that we are destined to be forever but we are not really there yet.

We still have trouble in the world—that’s straight from the Master’s lips.  But we are to take heart—to take courage—that Jesus has overcome the world.  We can have peace in the middle of the troubles of this world.

The world says, you must figure everything out before you can have peace.  God says, no you don’t.

We have been discussing love for half a year.  Many of the lessons we have learned teach us that love compels us to action.  Love causes us to put into practice the words of our Master.  God’s love in action is very much a part of our identity.

But love also brings us to peace.  Love brings us to give thanks to God, talk with him, listen to him, and ask him for those things which we think we need, and receive his peace.

Jesus reminded his disciples that human fathers took good care of their own children.  If your son asked you for some bread, would you put a rock on a paper plate and say, Bon Appétit?  Of course not!

Jesus continued that if you who frequently make a mess of parenting still give your children good gifts, how much more will your Father in heaven give you?

God has good plans for us and wants to give us good things and prosper us.  He does not want to harm us.  While we are working through the troubles of this age, he is ever so ready to give us peace, peace that is beyond our comprehension.

Your car payment might still be due.  You might have a dentist appointment this Tuesday.  The first day of school is just around the corner.  Your boss is still a jerk.  The sermon might go on for another hour, but you have peace.

You have peace that doesn’t match the facts of the situation.

You have peace that you do not comprehend.

You have peace that guards your hearts and minds as if the transformation process was already completed.

You have peace in the Lord Jesus Christ.

In this age of trouble and controversy and outright rebellion against God, you have the peace of God.  It is more that you can understand but exactly what you need.

Receive God’s peace and let him guard your hearts and minds in this troubled age.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Amen!