Circumstantial Peace

When all is well around me, I am at peace. But as soon as there is any turmoil, I get agitated. If a friend gets sick, if anyone I love is suffering, I get upset for them. Well, actually, it isn’t really for them, since it doesn’t seem to improve their situation any.

Circumstantial peace fluctuates with every tide. It’s like being in a small boat on the open sea. When the waters are calm, the boat ride is pleasant. But as soon as the waves get choppy, you feel like vomiting. Huge ships feel more stable than small boats. Yet, most of us prefer to self-navigate in our own little boats, even though we are more likely to get tossed around by every wave. Well, I’m sick of this little boat! I want to experience a more stable peace.

“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”(Phil. 4:6-7 NLT)

This ‘peace beyond understanding’—won’t make sense. This verse is not about how God is going to smooth out your life. It can’t be based on the resolution of every problem. If it were, then it wouldn’t be beyond human understanding. It’s about climbing out of your self-navigated little boat and climbing onto God’s mighty vessel. It’s about submitting everything to God and being saturated in trust.