FORMULA FOR PEACE
In this time, I think it can be easy to start losing hope and trust in God, and when we lose hope and trust, we lose peace. To prevent that, I wanted to bring back the scripture that our Pastor Erik touched on in his sermon this past Sunday. Phil. 4:6 has always been my go-to verse to help with anxiety, but a little over a year ago I realized all Phil. 4:4-9 hold the steps to relieve anxiety and receive peace. For me, I saw these verses as the formula for peace and here is what I mean :
Rejoice (vs. 4-5): Rejoice and praise God no matter the circumstances. No matter what’s going on, God is still good and is still deserving of praise. When we praise Him, things in the spiritual realm shift for the better and we get to reflect on the goodness of God, transforming our hearts and minds. (refer also to Acts 16:25-26)
Release (vs. 6-7): When we give God all of our burdens by laying out in prayer everything that we’re worrying about, outside of prayer we can be at peace because we can trust that God heard us. And because God heard us, we can trust that He’s taking care of what we prayed about. (refer also to 1 John 5:14-15)
Look up (vs. 8): Once we’ve released, we can stay focused on the BLESSINGS of God, all the good things in the world. Peace remains when we dwell on those things while acknowledging the bad things in order to inquire about how to fix them, learn from them, and release them in prayer as well. (refer also to Proverbs 17:22 and Colossians 3:1-2)
Live out (vs. 9): Live out the Word of God and serve Him. Act what we read and we can live in purpose, joy, and peace. (refer also to James 1:22)
I encourage you to read these descriptions alongside the verses for understanding.
~ Coty Miller, Worship Director