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Peace Through Release

Philippians 4:6-7
Do not be anxious about anything, but … present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (NIVUK)

Those who pray and trust the Lord to bring the right answer at the right time are released from anxiety.   That release brings peace; but that is not just a comfortable feeling - it is the absence of war.  Paul wrote about peace with God as a legal statement (Romans 5:1).  When we have surrendered ourselves to God, and accepted the sacrifice of Jesus as being in place of our punishment for sins (explained in www.crosscheck.org.uk), God declares that we are no longer under His wrath (Romans 5:9).  Peace has broken out because His Holy Spirit has broken into our lives.  That brings very good feelings of relief and acceptance - our emotional reaction to believing in God's grace.

However, when believers forget that God is the 'Boss', and think that they have to control their future, that is when things go wrong.  Their failed attempts to do what only God can do lead to frustration and anxiety.  Not only that, but they forfeit the blessings of the peace which God has given them.  God's rule over their lives has been broken when they try to take control again, and as they drift further from God, the old habits of self-preservation take over, until their peace ebbs away.

That is all reversed when we come back to the Lord confessing the failure of our self-sufficiency and giving the problem over to Him to manage (even though He may well ask us to play a part).  When we entrust it to Him, then He gives a renewed peace: we are no longer fighting against Him but working with Him.  That peace is supernatural, and even defies the logic of the circumstances.  It acts like a garrison of soldiers, in our hearts to keep us safe in our desires, decisions and emotions, and in our minds to protect our thoughts against Satan's attacks.  

God’s peace enables us to witness for Christ too.  When others see the follower of Jesus under pressure but not cracking, or under threat and not panicking, then they know that relying on Jesus brings peace.  As they see you, they will want what you have, as a gift from God.  And when they ask the questions, you will be able to tell them that Jesus helps you all the way, every day (1 Peter 3:15).

Prayer 
Dear Lord. Thank You for giving me peace when I stop fighting against You, pretending to be in control of my life. Please forgive me for going back to the sadness of not being at peace with You. Help me make every effort to preserve that peace between us, by giving everything to You, instead of going through all sorts of worries which deny Your lordship and strip out my peace. May I desire to stay in such a trusting relationship with You that my heart and mind will be continually protected from the attacks of the world, flesh and devil. And may the peace which flows from my life of trust also influence my colleagues to trust You. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
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© Dr Paul Adams