Finding Peace

Finding Peace

Philippians 4:4-9

We all want peace in this life, don’t we? We want to live our lives free from the weight of anxiety, regret and guilt.

Of course, God‘s Word tells us that if we want to find peace and overcome anxiety… then we should start by following Christ. Jesus says, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you... Let not your hearts be troubled, and do not be afraid.” The beginning point for true and lasting peace, is Jesus.

Now, having said that... and assuming pretty much everyone here is a follower of Christ: the Bible offers us (as followers of Christ) a prescription for peace... a formula, if you will, that you and I can follow in our relationship with Christ, that greatly increases our chances of living a life free of unnecessary anxiety. And that prescription involves the pursuit of one thing, while avoiding two other things.

It’s a simple formula... it’s not some hidden mystery or obscure theological complexity. It’s a straightforward call to live in a way that frees our hearts and minds... and brings peace, true and lasting peace that surpasses all understanding. It’s a peace this world can’t offer, nor can the world take it away.

But to get to this “formula” we’re gonna begin in the Beginning... the Old Testament book of Genesis (19:26), where God brings judgment on Sodom and Gomorrah because of wickedness. He sent two angels to tell Lot and his wife (and family) to leave, and not to look back. God didn’t want them looking back or dwelling on the past. No yearning for what was, or what might have been, or what could have been. God didn’t want them thinking about all the people, places, things, that they were leaving behind.

Because, in reality, looking back was more than just a physical act... it represented an orientation of the heart. Looking back was to resist God’s new direction and to cling to the very thing He was delivering Lot and his wife from.

Of course, as the story goes, Lot’s wife looked back anyway. And we’re told she was turned into a pillar of salt. She became hardened… stuck… calcified. And that’s what happens to us when we dwell on, or “live-in” the past. We get stuck.

So the first thing God wants us to avoid is dwelling in the past. Stop looking back. Stop obsessing over things that happened to you. Forgive others. Forgive yourself. And look forward to where God has you now.

You know, there’s a big difference between “remembering” and “dwelling.” Remembering the past is the call of Scripture: remember God’s deliverance, remember God’s blessings, remember the sacrifice and love of Christ. It’s what we do around this table, following Jesus’ command to “Do this in Remembrance of me!” And learning from our past mistakes and failures can certainly be constructive. BUT... living there is another story.

So, the first step in finding peace in Christ: Don’t dwell on the past...

Then, we jump to the New Testament... Matthew chapter 6 (25-34), where Jesus tells us in his Sermon on the Mount… “Do not worry about tomorrow, it can worry about itself.”

Jesus doesn’t say this lightly. He knows our hearts. He knows we’re prone to project our fears forward... to obsess over what might happen... what could go wrong, to the point that it hinders our ability to “glorify God and enjoy Him forever” - in the present.

We imagine scenarios, that cloud our judgment and stunt our growth... because we let fear dominate our thinking. And in doing so... we allow anxiety to rob us of the joy and purpose of today.

Jesus says, “Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them...” and “see how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.” “Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?”

Jesus calls us to trust... to trust Him... not just in His provision, but in His presence. When we come to trust Christ’s presence (acknowledging that He is with us ALWAYS)... when we entrust our future to His providence... we find that we’re able to lay down the heavy burden of control... as we take up the light yoke of faith.

So, here we have the two things we’re called to avoid if we’re to find lasting peace: dwelling on the past, and worrying about the future.

And that brings us to the principle that God calls us to stay in… to dwell in. It’s found in Philippians chapter 4:4-8. We’re told to focus on whatever is true, lovely, praiseworthy… To think on these things. Such thinking grounds us in the present moment, and frees us from the “what if’s”. It prevents us from dwelling in the past or fretting over the future as we focus on the only thing we can change. The present.

As God’s covenant people… People of the kingdom of God… Jesus offers us peace today. This moment. His peace and presence that surpasses all understanding.

That’s what happens when we trust Christ now. In this moment. He’s covered our past: and whatever sins, failures, hurts, or regrets lie behind us... they’ve all been forgiven and healed in Christ. As Psalm 103:12 reminds us, “As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.”

The fact is: the very Christ who has redeemed our past also holds our future. So... we have no need to worry. Our days are in the sovereign and capable hands of the God who loves us, and called us to be His Children.

We need only rejoice! Coming before our Creator by prayer and petition... thanking God for redeeming our past - and trusting Christ as He leads us into tomorrow.

The gift of walking in the kingdom of God comes from knowing God holds us securely in Christ... and we will never escape His grip. We are His. We belong to Christ. We can walk confidently through today, knowing Christ is always with us… He’s already dealt with our past, and he’s walking alongside us into His future.