It Makes No Sense

“And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7).

There are just some things that don’t make any sense. The popularity of the Kardashians. Why do we call it a pair of pants when there’s only one? We drive on the parkway and park in the driveway. What’s so “fun-sized” about candy in smaller packages? Michael Brooks even wrote a book called “13 Things that Don’t Make Sense.” Paul says we can add God’s peace to that list of things we can’t wrap our minds around. “And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus” (v7). 

Through our relationship with Jesus, God’s peace acts like an impenetrable force field protecting us from anxiety’s attacks. Nobody can figure how it happens. You can’t look at it under a microscope. You can’t recreate it in a lab. But you’ve seen it yourself firsthand. A friend who’s absolutely unshaken after a horrible diagnosis. A coworker who remains calm despite being downsized. A neighbor who keeps their cool in the face of the loss of a loved one. The only thing they all have in common is Christ. His presence in their lives doesn’t mean their pain isn’t real. They should feel like they’re under attack. But they have His peace protecting their hearts and minds. It just doesn’t make any sense.

There’s every reason the apostle should be personally freaked out. He’s in a Roman lockup for telling people about Jesus. And he’s been there for about five years. I don’t know about you, but I would probably be throwing myself a personal prison pity party. But not Paul. Why? Because he’s got the peace of God. And he’s writing to a bunch of friends in Philippi who aren’t exactly living in the lap of suburban luxury. It wasn’t that long ago when the message of Jesus ignited riots in the city (Acts 16:19-23). In a letter to the Corinthian church, we read about how tough things are for the Macedonian churches, which includes the Philippians. They’re facing a “severe test of affliction” and “extreme poverty” (2Cor 8:1-2). Both the author and his recipients have every reason to gripe and complain. Instead we see peace. And not just any peace. It’s the peace of God. It just doesn’t make any sense.

We’re in the homestretch of Paul’s letter and he’s giving the Philippians specific instructions. He’s spent nearly all of the first three chapters reminding them of who they are in Jesus and the unbelievable value of an intimate relationship with our Savior. Here he shifts gears and gives us application. Once we realize who we are in Christ, he tells us what to do as His followers. The indicatives lead to imperatives. The facts lead to actions. The apostle reminds us to rejoice, repeat, and rejoice again (Phil 4:4). Make sure we have a rep for sacrifice and humility (Phil 4:5). Instead of freaking out about anything, we pray to God about everything (Phil 4:6). 

Here in verse 7, we see the very practical benefit of dropping off all our worry at the feet of Jesus. God’s mind-blowing peace defends our thoughts and emotions. “The peace of God” (v7) is so much more than a lack of warfare. There’s no doubt that Jesus puts an end to our rebellion against God’s kingdom. But that’s just the start. Both the NT Greek word eirene and the OT Hebrew term shalom describe something SO much more than an end to fighting. We’re talking about total harmony and perfect order. Everything fits together. Life makes sense. Think back to the description of God’s perfect creation…before we broke it, of course. Every time the Almighty stopped to check things out, He made a point of saying just how awesome things were (Gen 1: 10, 12, 18, 21, 25, 31). Why? Because everything was working in shalom. Perfect, God ordained rhythm. 

In his book “Not the Way It’s Supposed to Be,” Cornelius Plantinga describes shalom as “the webbing together of God, humans, and all creation in justice, fulfillment, and delight…Shalom means universal flourishing, wholeness, and delight—a rich state of affairs in which natural needs are satisfied and natural gifts fruitfully employed. Shalom, in other words, is the way things ought to be…the full flourishing of human life in all aspects, as God intended it to be.” 

Pump your brakes and ponder that thought for a moment. Universal flourishing. Wholeness. Delight. In the light of just how jacked up our world is in the 21st Century, shalom absolutely doesn’t make sense. God’s peace is WAY beyond our limited human understanding. Flip on CNN or Fox News for just a few minutes. War. Murder. Poverty. Corruption. Entertainment news. Is there any doubt the world is spinning down the porcelain bowl? But it’s the thought that Jesus is on His way back not just to rescue you and me but to redeem our broken universe. Justin Timberlake may be bringing sexy back, but Christ is bringing God’s peace back. 

Can you think of anyone better for the job than the Prince of Peace (Is 9:6). Right before His own betrayal and murder, Jesus tells His posse, “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid” (Jn 14:27). The prophet Isaiah praises God for the amazing shalom He blesses on those who lean on His goodness. “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You” (Is 26:3). Paul prays for the Thessalonians that “the Lord of peace Himself give you peace at all times in every way” (2Th 3:16). The apostle has a similar prayer for Colossian believers to “let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts” (Col 3:15). Don’t settle for substitutes. Don’t be fooled by imitators. There’s no better source for God’s peace than the God of peace. 

His peace does something that nothing else can or will do. His shalom “will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (v7). Paul uses a word here (Gr. phroureo) that describes the correction officer just outside his cell. It can be used either to keep someone in custody or to protect from harm. The apostle tells us that God’s peace isn’t holding us hostage but shielding us from assault. Think of the detail of Secret Service agents who protect the President. God’s peace acts in a similar way, completely surrounding and shielding our hearts and minds. 

What is He protecting us from? Fear. Worry. Panic. Why do you think they call it an anxiety attack? I don’t know about you, but it’s not the full-on front assault that worries me. It’s those emotional terrorist raids that knock me for a loop. That’s why I need to be in a continual state of prayer with and dependence upon Jesus. His peace is always on high alert. His shalom remains at DEFCON 1. His protection brings me His peace. The world around us may be spinning out of control. But His shalom keeps us calm. King David had a hit song all about how God’s protection keeps us safe when we’re strolling through Death Valley (Ps 23:4). How does it work? I dunno. It makes absolutely no sense. Kind of like why a round pizza comes in a square box and is cut in triangles.