We hear a lot about the passage from Philippians 4, about receiving into our hearts the peace of God that surpasses all human understanding, that is beyond what we can comprehend with our intellect.
Looking at the world around us we come across many reasons not to believe, not to maintain our peace. And at these times I remember a quote from Bill Johnson…
Don’t depend on the obvious
“In order to have a peace that surpasses all understanding, you have to give up your right to understand.”
Bill Johnson
Feeling peace after the storm or when dreams come true is very simple, as it is obvious.
If everything happened as I wanted, everything is going well, without any difficulties, it’s easy to have peace, it’s an obvious feeling. To experience the peace of God, the one that goes beyond everything that happens around us, we need to not let ourselves be shaken by what happens around us.
We always want to have the peace of mind of being with God, but even though we are with the Father, we don’t focus on Him, and this shakes our calm in the face of life’s situations.
We focus on problems as if there were no solutions, on the rain as if there was no rainbow after it, on the past as if God had not already prepared a wonderful future for us.
Don’t focus on the lack
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”
Proverbs 3:5-6
Our human mind constantly seeks to understand and only then calms down and rests. But God gives us the certainty of His word, which gives us the freedom to give up understanding and know His peace, which is above all.
The lack of this peace creates doubts in us. Every doubt expresses a lack, whether of the peace we are talking about, of faith, of hope… Therefore, we need to live with conviction.
Conviction is the complete opposite of doubt, as it demonstrates how much our focus and trust are in the word of God, considering it as the ultimate and determining one. I don’t need to doubt because if something is lacking in me, that something emanates in abundance from Him.
If He has promised to fill us and accompany us above all else, then there is no vacant space within me for doubt.
Open your eyes…
“The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus…”
1 Timothy 1:14-15
You need to understand that everything that is lacking in you, overflows with Jesus. Just like in the story of 2 Kings 4. The widow lacked oil and Elisha asked them to look for more containers, so God poured it over the vessels. He is a Father who fills and overflows over his children. What I lack is poured out of heaven in abundance upon me.
We think it’s beautiful to read about a peace that goes beyond what our eyes can see, but daily our mind takes the focus off the hope that this peace produces. Don’t let your eyes stray from what God wants to pour out on you. Seek Him without ceasing, so that there is no empty space left in you and, being filled, you will not lack anything. If this lack does not exist, there is also no doubt and we become convinced people, persevering in what the Lord has already promised us in his word.
Give up the right to understand and open your eyes to see that His is the dominion, power and wisdom above all.
