THE PEACE PROCESS

PHILIPPIANS 4:4-9 NKJ 
4 Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! 
5 Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. 
6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. 
8 Finally, brethren, 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. 9 The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you. 

This passage could easily become a series. But for brevity's sake, I will condense it to fit in this devotional.  

Start the peace process by rejoicing in the Lord. Paul thought that this admonishment was worth repeating. And from the perspective of a man who rejoiced while in a Philippian prison, Paul is an expert in rejoicing.   

Let your gentleness be known. A clearer word is graciousness. It is hard to live in God's peace and be harsh with people. The scriptures do not dance around this subject. How we treat people matters. It matters to them. And it matters to us.   

Do not be anxious about anything. But in everything, pray. This verse has to be one of the greatest promises we have as believers. We can ask God in prayer. Thank Him for the answer and begin to walk in a peace that passes our understanding. If His peace goes beyond our understanding, then it's a heart peace. Our minds are not involved.   

But our minds will need to be engaged. It's here in our thoughts that the biggest battles are fought. So, Paul gives us, by inspiration of the Holy Spirit, a list of thoughts we are to think. If our thoughts don't make this list, we need to kick them to the curb. This is easier said than done, but we can practice. And with practice, we get stronger.   

Paul wraps up the peace process by reminding the Philippians to put into practice what they had learned. As always, Christianity is more than a philosophy; it's a practice, a way of life.   

And the God of peace will be with you. God is always with us. As we walk in His ways, we experience dimensions of His peace, joy, and strength in greater and greater measure.  

APPLICATION: 

God's peace in our lives is so valuable. Read over these verses and begin to think about ways you can apply the peace process to your life.   

PRAYER: 

Thank You, Father, for showing me how I can live in Your peace on an everyday basis.