Sherry Sterling

Dear friends,

I tend to run anxious. It’s not that I’m a worrier, it’s that my nervous system is always a bit revved up, so it doesn’t take much to shift from relaxed to uptight. When I came across the New Testament reading for today as a teenager, I latched onto this middle part of it:

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. — Philippians 4:6-7

I thought I’d found a formula for peace: prayerfully ask + gratitude = peace. I was looking for a change of circumstance, an answer to my request, as the source of peace. However, I missed the context. Notice what comes before the above verses:

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. —Philippians 4:4-5

And after:

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.—Philippians 4:8-9

Now I hear the guidance to keep our minds and hearts on the qualities of God, and in that context, bring our gratitude and make our prayers and requests, and that is how God’s peace will be with us. That peace comes from basking in God’s presence and Being rather than approaching prayer as a cosmic slot machine—putting in our requests and hoping we’ll hit the jackpot of our idea of change.

The presence of God is the jackpot. The act of rejoicing in the Lord, relaxing into gentleness, resting our minds on all things praiseworthy—this is what prepares us to receive God’s peace. This peace is beyond our understanding. This peace settles deeper than any change of circumstance. We are invited to relax in the assuring presence of God, the Creator of the Universe. When I consider this, it starts to put in perspective my particular panic of the day.

Peace and love,

—Sherry