Protection by peace.
And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
~Philippians 4:7 (CSB)
I spent the last week tent camping in northwestern Montana, not too far from where I grew up, with one of my good friends from college. It was a time of little cell phone service, lots of conversations, laughing at the antics of her son, and marveling at all the life we’ve experienced together.
Our campsite was on the Clark Fork River, and for one of our last mornings, we went to a marvelously placed bench to just sit and watch the river. As we sat there, we let silence fall (other than her son's baby babbling). The breeze was light, barely there. Rays of sunlight filtered through the tall pine trees, creating shifting patches on the ground. An eagle soared on drafts above the trees carpeting the mountainside. The river streamed by, calm and quiet. I closed my eyes and let the sun warm my back as I listened to the rustle of the breeze.
The quiet was wonderful. We'd been living with less noise pollution for several days by this point since cell service was minimal, the highway was a couple of miles away, and the other nearby campers were relatively quiet too. So, I was falling into unconscious patterns of quiet and stillness. At night after I crawled into my tent, I’d lay there and treasure the lack of noise and light.
On this morning by the river, though, I noticed how hard it was to still my mind intentionally. I just wanted to sit and be, but I started wondering about what time we needed to leave for our day trip, was the bridge down the river for the highway or the train tracks, had anyone ever climbed to the top of the mountains across the way, which tree held the eagle's nest, how deep was the river, what was the baby thinking, my friend and I had been quiet for a while – should I say something, I really need to start working on my writing project, I'd better get started on that math class I signed up for, and on and on and on. As thoughts rushed in, I forced my mind to pause while I took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, calming my mind.
I wanted the peace of the stillness to fill me up; I wanted to bottle the stillness and bring it home with me. I could open the bottle up, release the stillness when life got hectic or worrisome, and let peace settle in my heart. A verse from Philippians filtered into my mind, “And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus” (4:7, CSB). As I sat in the peace and quiet of that morning by the river, I realized I felt whole and well. Peace seemed to insulate me from the cares and worries that filled my days. And I so desperately wanted to carry that peace and wholeness with me as I re-entered my regular daily life governed by an endless to-do list.
Jesus gives us His peace (John 14:27). In the gospels, we often see Jesus saying, "Go in peace" or "Peace be with you." Paul's benediction in Romans 15 says, "Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace…" (15:13). Peace is a fruit of the Holy Spirit (Gal. 5:22), a fruit developed by the indwelling Spirit as we live out our faith in Christ.
Why do I reference all these verses? I reference them because I need the reminder that peace is not a place or a time or even a state of mind. Peace is of God. God fills us with His peace, as He fills us with His Spirit. We need to look no further than the Spirit of God that fills our hearts and souls with His presence. Perhaps we can identify His peace more easily in times of stillness and quiet, but God's Spirit is always with us, so too, His peace is always guarding our hearts and minds.
Now, I am back to daily life. I’m on the couch elevating my leg for a few days as I fight an infection (unrelated to the camping trip), so I’m not quite back to normal. However, I know my forced inactivity will simply bring up all the anxiety of unfinished projects (e.g., setting up my classroom) and cleaning up from my trip (hello, laundry). Peace will not complement this stillness nearly as well as my morning spent by the river, so I will have to pause and intentionally notice the presence of God in a life filled with noise, plans, and to-do lists.
May the peace of God meet you where you are today. And may you pause and notice the presence of the God of peace in your heart and mind.
