There are many formulas for peace around today. Psychologists, positive thinkers, and success motivators sell them by the dozens. In the Bible you will find the best formula for peace. In the biblical sense, peace is more than the absence of trouble.

It grows out of a relationship with God: He is often called the God of peace. The secret of peace is given to us in Philippians 4:6-9, and there are three parts to it. First, you must pray right—“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.” (v. 6) Prayer is talking with and listening to God. It grows out of the conviction that the God who created the heavens and the earth, and who cares for the birds of the air and the flowers, also cares for us. We can worry about our problems, or we can ask God to help us. Second, you must think right—“Whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.” (v. 8) Most anxieties are rooted in our mind, in our way of thinking. If our thinking is right, we can be at peace in a storm of sorrow and suffering. If we want peace, we must set our hearts and minds on the highest moral and ethical values in life. Third, you must do right—“The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do.” (v. 9) The Bible says, “The way of the unfaithful is hard.” (Proverbs 13:15) A peaceful heart and a life of disobedience to God do not move together. You must choose between them. If you trust God, think good thoughts, and live the way He wants you to, the peace of God will be with you: “The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus … and the God of peace will be with you.” (Philippians 4:7, 9b)

Sin cera, Erik

Erik O. Garthe is Associate Pastor at Canton Baptist Church in Baltimore, Maryland.

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