Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you.
--Parallel verses:
Philippians 4:8-9
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.
Have you ever wondered if the definition of peace has changed over the years? What about the difference between world peace and inner-peace? Is peace just related to not having wars and fights, or is there a deeper meaning to peace in life?
Is peace momentary and fleeting in my life or is it a stable force for good? I find that much of the definition of what peace is comes from the God of peace. He is the only one that can truly put my heart at peace. Why is this? It is because he created peace, he is the definition of peace, and when I have peace with God — this is the one peace that all other peace sources itself from.
So how do I get peace with God? Or even more important, how do I gain the God of Peace on my side? The cross reference in Philippians tells me what it takes. I must be a person who is: true, noble, pure, righteous, lovely, and does things that are admirable. I must think about ways to improve and be excellent and praise God and thank him for others in my life.
I must model after righteous mentors who have gone before me. I should study them, join them in ministry, and seek to understand their hearts.
Lord, teach me to be a person impacted by your great qualities and disciplines that bring peace to my heart. With all of the definitions of peace floating around in the world these days, it is refreshing to know the God of Peace personally. Thanks for giving me peace in all circumstances!
Somehow I’ve missed that peace connection at the end of one of my favorite passages! Thanks for making that link to our personal thought life and practices. So needed in our world where everyone seems more and more anxiety ridden!