Back in the 1960’s when I was in school at Berkeley, we would flash "peace" signs to each other, and say something "cool" like, "Peace, baby!" Of course we were looking at peace the way the world looks at peace. Our efforts at spreading peace weren’t too effective, but God has a way which offers genuine peace from turmoil and trouble.

All of us from time to time face moments of anxiety. It may be due to some difficult situation we are encountering in our life such as a financial obligation, a work situation, family problems, illness, or fear for the future. Whatever we may be facing, we can learn from these verses how to handle anxiety and find real peace.

Paul tells his readers they are not to be anxious about anything. Easier said than done, you reply. But Paul gives us a pattern to follow which will help us overcome those times of anxiety. Whenever we feel overwhelmed with worry, we are to present our requests to God. And we’re supposed to do it a certain way. Notice Paul says, "by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving." Prayer and petition are two different things. Prayer is when we talk to God as a friend, as a Father. But petition is when we make our case and present our arguments to God. Of course, God doesn’t need us to do that. But we need to do that so we understand what we are really asking for, what impact it will have on us, and what it will mean to our future outlook. So when you are overburdened with problems, don’t just pray - also petition! Our petitions are not to be made in the forms of demands or complaints. Paul says to present our petitions "with thanksgiving." When we come to God, we need to be grateful that he will even listen to us.

I ran across an interesting secular study which has implications for us when we are worried. We could probably apply many of these points to our own life. Duke University did a study on "peace of mind." If you examine every item closely, you will see how each one confirms some basic teaching from scripture.

Factors found to contribute greatly to emotional and mental stability are:

1. The absence of suspicion and resentment. Nursing a grudge was a major factor in unhappiness.

2. Not living in the past. An unwholesome preoccupation with old mistakes and failures leads to depression.

3. Not wasting time and energy fighting conditions you cannot change. Cooperate with life, instead of trying to run away from it.

4. Force yourself to stay involved with the living world. Resist the temptation to withdraw and become reclusive during periods of emotional stress.

5. Refuse to indulge in self-pity when life hands you a raw deal. Accept the fact that nobody gets through life without some sorrow and misfortune.

6. Cultivate the old-fashioned virtues-love, humor, compassion and loyalty

7. Do not expect too much of yourself. When there is too wide a gap between self-expectation and your ability to meet the goals you have set, feelings of inadequacy are inevitable.

8. Find something bigger than yourself to believe in. Self-centered egotistical people score lowest in any test for measuring happiness.

Even when we are facing the heaviest burdens, we can experience God’s peace. As we draw close to our Redeemer, we discover that a peace fills our heart. As Paul says, this peace "transcends all understanding." We don’t understand how we can feel so peaceful when we know what we are facing. But God is gracious to us and helps us through the greatest obstacles.

Paul says that the peace of God will guard our hearts and our minds. In other words we can have peace in our thoughts as well as in our feelings. Both our reason and our emotions will be calmed by God.

Robertson writes, "God's peace as a sentinel mounts guard over our lives as Tennyson so beautifully pictures Love as doing."

Paul gives us a long list of good things to think about instead of dwelling on our problems. When God gives us his peace, let’s not return to thinking about our problems. Instead, as Paul instructs, let us think about all the good things that are going to happen.

Robertson points out, "Thus he introduces six adjectives picturing Christian ideals, old-fashioned and familiar words not necessarily from any philosophic list of moral excellencies Stoic or otherwise. Without these no ideals can exist. They are pertinent now when so much filth is flaunted before the world in books, magazines and moving-pictures under the name of realism (the slime of the gutter and the cess-pool)."

Paul concludes with the instruction that we are to put into practice what we have been taught. Often, we know what to do, but we allow fear to grip our heart. Let us be willing to discipline ourselves and put into practice these words of comfort. When we do that, we are promised at the end of this verse that the God of peace will be with us. Whatever is causing your anxiety now, take it to God in prayer. Practice what you have been taught. Pray and petition and do it with thanksgiving. As we do these things, we will find peace instead of anxiety, calmness instead of turmoil, and healing instead of pain.

Charles Wesley wrote this hymn with these wonderful words

I rest beneath the Almighty’s shade,
My griefs expire, my troubles cease;
Thou, Lord, on whom my soul is stayed,
Wilt keep me still in perfect peace.

This study on Philippians 4:6-9 © 1999 by David Humpal, all rights reserved.
All scriptures unless otherwise noted are from the New International Version © 1971, Zondervan Bible Publishers

Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament, electronic version © 1997, Biblesoft