"...and the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your heart and your mind in Christ Jesus." Phil. 4:7
I have had this verse memorized since elementary school and then wrote it on numerous pledge books, club signs and chalk boards for mixers during my club days at Harding, as this was the theme verse for our social club. For months now, I can't shake the question from my mind of what it means to have a heart and mind guarded by God's peace. What are they guarded from? There are the obvious things of worry or fear or a whole list of sins that are definitely the antithesis of peace. But, I keep thinking about the moments and days when I've felt my heart running away from me, either with emotional obsession or jealousy or hatred or the times my mind has been the fiercest battleground I could imagine...and I can attest that there is definitely no peace there, although my flesh seems to be mightily enjoying the distraction. These are the things I'm aware my heart and mind need to be guarded from. Is it the lack of God's peace that starts my heart and mind down these roads of sin? I think I've always thought of it the other way around. (My heart and mind are where they shouldn't be, and therefore I don't have peace.) And yet, this verse says that we can't understand God's peace and how it works. I'm asking the Lord to show me what he has in store to reveal to me about what it means for His peace to guard my heart and for his peace to guard my mind in Christ Jesus.
I'm thinking that the verse before that says "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer....." In everything by prayer. Have my heart and mind been running away? You can bet I haven't been praying when the thought or emotion first entered in. It reminds me of taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. Any thoughts? I'd love to hear your point of view... I hope there's more to come on this in a later entry.
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3 comments:
Hey Becky, You're much more diligent at this than you hubby. Tell him to get back on the horse! God bless.
Matt
"will guard your heart and your mind in Christ Jesus.."
I guess I don't see this as much as our hearts being guarded "from" something, but being guarded "in" something. God takes our hearts and, with His peace, guards our hearts and minds "in Christ Jesus". Our hearts and minds can be somewhat held captive in Christ because of God's peace. Does that make any sense to you? :) Love you sis!!
I think you're right, Sarah! I don't need to focus on what my heart and mind are being guarded from but rather on who is guarding them. One of my very favorite scriptures is in John 15:4 where Jesus says "Remain in me and I will remain in you." I remain in him by choosing him over everything else, obeying the first command to Love the Lord with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength. And, in a sense I love him by obeying him (I John) and even though the peace itself doesn't make sense, the fact that I have it because I'm hidden in Christ Jesus does. The theme of abiding that the Lord keeps bringing up to me is part of the answer in these thoughts, too, isn't it? And, I think I hear what you're saying that the other end of this truth is that God's peace which we receive from Him through prayer drives us to abide in Christ, too. Thanks, Sarah!! Love you!
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