Understanding the Peace that Transcends Understanding
By Michael Kelley
Philippians 4 is full of air-tight statements. Take a look at some of the instructions Paul left us with:
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your graciousness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus (Phil. 4:4-7).
The language here leaves no room for exceptions. We are to rejoice ALWAYS. Our graciousness should be evident to ALL. We should pray in ALL circumstances and not be anxious about ANYTHING.
And what will be the result? It’s another air-tight statement - we will have unconditional peace.
This peace, which stands in contrast to the anxiety in verse 6, is not just the absence of conflict. It is, more positively, a state of untroubled, undisturbed, well-being. Understanding it that way helps us see why this kind of peace “transcends understanding.”
This is peace that doesn’t make sense given the circumstances we are in.
Now consider a scenario with me. Let’s say that you are at the local pool. You’ve had a great day; it’s been hot, the sun has been shining, and you’re enjoying yourself. You are at peace, and it’s a peace that is certainly understandable given what’s going on around you. But you are enjoying yourself so much - so logically - that you haven’t noticed the clouds that are rapidly approaching.
Suddenly, you hear warnings from everyone’s phones. Those warnings are followed closely by the tornado warning sirens above you. That’s followed closely by an announcement over the loudspeaker saying a tornado is bearing down on your location and you need to get to an interior room inside the building immediately. So you jump up, gather a few things, and then start to hurry inside the building when you notice that there is a gentleman who is casually doing the backstroke in the middle of the pool.
You have to admit - it looks pretty peaceful, but given the chaos that has erupted around you, that peace doesn’t make much sense. It transcends your understanding. In fact, there are only two reasons why that man could be at peace, given the circumstances.
Reason number one is that the guy in the pool is oblivious to the circumstances. Maybe he’s hard of hearing. Or maybe his head has been under the water. But for whatever reason, that guy does not understand the severity of what’s happening around him.
Or…
The only other reason for that person’s peace in the midst of chaos is that he knows something you don’t know.
And who knows what that might be? Maybe he knows that that scientific research - only released that day - has proven that tornadoes don’t hit swimming pools. Or maybe he knows there is actually a bunker with oxygen at the bottom of the pool. Who knows? But clearly he knows something you do not, and that’s why he is peaceful when, in your mind, he should be anything but.
Now these Philippians Paul was writing to had all kinds of logical reasons to feel anxiety. Paul was writing his letter from a jail cell, and the Philippians were undergoing persecution. So what might it be that they know that the casual onlooker does not? Perhaps it is in the simple statement Paul includes at the end of verse 5.
Yes, they are undergoing persecution. Yes, their future is unsure. Yes, they will likely experience pain. Yes, these are reasons to be anxious. But…
The Lord is near (Phil. 4:5).
The same thing is true for Christians today. We have every reason to feel fear. Anxiety. Worry. Trepidation. Every reason to be troubled in the midst of chaos. But we know something the world doesn’t, and that “something” is the source of peace that defies understanding.
The Lord is near. He is not oblivious to our circumstances. He is not unaware of our difficulty. He is not aloof to our troubles. He is near, and He is nearer than He ever has been before to returning. For now, though, when we pray under any condition, He will extend His unconditional peace, which will stand guard over our hearts like a military garrison stationed inside a city.
Michael Kelley is a husband, father of three, author, and speaker from Nashville, TN. His latest book is a year-long family devotional guide called The Whole Story for the Whole Family. Find his personal blog at michaelkelley.co.
