Do not be anxious about anything, 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 understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:6-7
It is interesting that this passage comes on the biblegateway.com calendar the same week I preach on the Fruits of the Spirit known as joy, faithfulness, and peace. In both Hebrew (שָׁלוֹם – pronounced shalom – ) and Greek (εἰρήνη’ – pronounced ear-ray-nay), the word “peace” is way more than the cessation of conflict; seldom used. It means oneness, wholeness, quietness, and well-being.
This definition works in Paul’s instructions above, as “peace” is a remedy for anxiety. Pray to God in thankfulness, and a quietness beyond your comprehension will fill you, taking the anxiousness away.
Peace, long life, completeness, well-being in one word. Now you understand the meaning behind my frequent usage of Live Long and Proper!
But I also use another phrase regularly which also embodies the context of Paul’s instruction:
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