Sermon Recap | Peace

Philippians 4:1-7

Tense muscles, restless nights, tumultuous tummies, fatigue, and difficulty concentrating might get you diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder. Some estimate that up to 40% of Americans suffer from some sort of anxiety disorder, the most commonly diagnosed mental illness in the US.

Regardless of how accurate the stats are, talking to everyday people reveals that anxiety is epidemic, even among Christians (including myself).

Google "anxiety cure" and in .25 seconds you'll see 1,410,000 ways to find anxiety relief. Guess what you won't find: a cure. There is relief in relaxation techniques, mental tricks, and medications - but no cure.

Amidst the noise of coping strategies is God's still, small voice in Philippians 4 saying, "Be anxious for nothing..."

Nothing. No thing. Not even one thing.

In Luke 10, we read the story of two sisters who had Jesus over for dinner. One sister, Mary, is captivated by Jesus. She just sits and looks at Him and listens to Him. The other sister, Martha, is busy straightening the house and preparing the food.

She's so stressed about it all that she finally snaps, turns to Jesus and says, "Do you not care that I'm doing everything and Mary is just sitting there?!"

Jesus looks at her with compassion. "Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things..." And between the lines, we read - "Don't be."

You're thinking, sure, don't sweat the small stuff. But, what about big stuff? Surely the Bible doesn't dismiss big worries so bluntly, right? Stroll through Matthew 6:25-34 and you'll see that the Bible is unyielding and clear about all anxiety and worrying: don't do it. There is an alternative

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

We can either be anxious or pray. We can either be Martha or Mary. We can either worry about life and provision or we can present our requests to God.

Prayer = talking to God.

Supplication = seeking your supplies from God.

Thanksgiving = do the above with gratitude.

It's not a complicated procedure. So why doesn't it work? When our chests are heaving and our minds are racing, why does peace often elude us when we pray? Doesn't verse seven promise that if we pray for our needs, our anxieties will give way to peace?

Does prayer work like an oil drill, digging into God until we strike peace? Does prayer work like a grocery store transaction in which we give God a prayer and He hands us a bag of peace (paper or plastic)?

When I was a child, I didn't worry about anything. No debt, no bills, and no responsibilities. I was at peace. Sure, plenty of debt, bills, and responsibilities were associated with my well-being; but I wasn't bothered by it.

I was dependent upon my parents for all these things. They were in control. They were responsible. And so long as I saw that they were seemingly at peace, I was at peace. They never gave me peace in any tangible way; yet their peace guarded my heart and mind.

This is the promise in verse seven, that our hearts and minds will be guarded by the peace of God, not peace from God.

When we pray in obedience to verse six, God doesn't give us a tube of anti-anxiety cream. God doesn't necessarily send peace down like a lightning bolt from heaven.

If we believe God is in control, that He loves us, that He wants what's best for us, then His peace will guard our hearts and minds from anxiety. Any peace we gain from prayer is directly connected to our ability to take comfort in the fact that He is in charge and He is at peace.

In other words, prayer is the exercise that strengthens faith, the muscle that enables us to trust God's sovereignty and thus be at peace.

We know that to be physically fit, we must exercise and eat right. Yet, how many of us try it for a couple of days and give up, thinking it didn't work because we see no results in the mirror? Exercise doesn't yield immediate fitness results and prayer doesn't always yield immediate peace results. Rather, it is a means to cultivate strong faith in God that, over time, will yield a heart and mind guarded by God's peace.

Christians, are you anxious? Cultivate a lifestyle of prayer. Soon, your faith will grow strong and the peace of God will guard you.


Those who have not committed their lives to Jesus, you need to address the gospel. The gospel is the good news that Jesus was God’s Son, lived the perfect life, and died the death we deserved to take the punishment we earned so that we could be reconciled to God.

There is no peace apart from God. There is no relationship with God but through Jesus. Finding out who He is will be your first step toward peace.

Email me if you want to talk about it: matthewbroadway@gmail.com.