An Unchanging God Brings Unchanging Peace
Finding Unshakable Peace: How an Unchanging God Fights Our Worry
Have you ever found yourself lying awake at night, mind racing with worries that just won’t quit? That small bit of panic that rises up in the darkness—”Oh no…”—as thoughts spiral about family issues, work problems, or financial pressures? You’re not alone. We all worry about something. In fact, I bet if I asked each of you what you worry about most often, it probably wouldn’t take long for something to come to mind.
The Reality of Worry in Our Lives
What I’ve found in my own life is that it’s not always the big, life-altering issues that consume me with worry. Often, it’s the day-to-day stuff that wears on me. Those circling thoughts that keep returning like a tornado, spinning through my mind with no resolution in sight.
“Do not be anxious about anything,” Paul writes in Philippians 4:6. That’s a tall order, isn’t it? But our unchanging God offers unchanging peace—even in our most worry-filled moments.
Recognizing When Worry Has Taken Hold
How can you tell when worry has gained too much ground in your life? One clear indicator is how you treat others.
“Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand,” Philippians 4:5 tells us. That word “reasonable” simply means to be considerate of others, to care about them. When worry dominates our thoughts, we often become unreasonable with those around us.
Think about it: when your mind is consumed with anxiety, how do you respond when your child wants to talk, or your spouse needs your attention? It’s hard to be considerate when we’re trapped in our own headspace, isn’t it? We tend to blow up or shut down. We don’t respond well when anxiety and fear control our thoughts.
God’s Solution to Our Worry
So what’s the solution? How do we stop worrying when it’s already taken root in our minds?
“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).
The path away from worry is clear:
- Talk to God about what’s troubling you
- Ask Him specifically for what you need
- Thank Him for who He is and what He will do
When we follow this pattern, something remarkable happens: “The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” God’s peace comes in when you give your worry to Him. He takes over. You don’t fight the battle anymore.
We can’t bring peace into our lives ourselves. It has to be through Him. This peace “surpasses all understanding”—it’s better than anything we could imagine or create on our own. We might think, “I can’t imagine not worrying about this situation,” but God’s peace exceeds our limited imagination.
Getting Ahead of Worry
God not only wants to fight the worry that’s already in us—He wants us to be proactive in this battle.
“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things” (Philippians 4:8).
How often throughout our day do we think about these types of things? How often do we dwell on God’s goodness, His character, His past faithfulness? I suspect we spend far more time thinking about our problems than about God’s goodness.
This is spiritual “premedication.” Just as medical professionals give medication before treatment to prevent side effects, dwelling on God’s truth prepares us to face life’s challenges without defaulting to worry.
Surrounding Yourself with Peace-Filled People
Another preventative measure against worry is found in Philippians 4:9: “What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.”
We need to spend time with examples of God’s nearness—people who demonstrate peace-filled living. Have you ever known someone who seems unshakable? Someone who’s faced terrible circumstances yet still radiates the joy of the Lord? Those are the people we need to be around.
If you’re constantly surrounded by spiritually negative people, you’ll become spiritually negative yourself. You’ll focus on frustrations rather than God’s goodness. Instead, surround yourself with people who talk about how good God is, who build you up in faith rather than pull you down into worry.
Putting It Into Practice
So how do we apply this teaching to our daily lives? Here are some practical steps:
- Identify your worries: What keeps you up at night? Name these concerns specifically.
- Give them to God: Through honest prayer, hand these worries over to Him. Be specific about what you need.
- Practice thanksgiving: Even in difficult circumstances, thank God for who He is and how He’s worked in your past.
- Fill your mind with truth: Intentionally direct your thoughts toward what is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, and commendable.
- Choose your company wisely: Spend time with people who encourage your faith rather than feed your fears.
Remember, we don’t just get God’s peace—we get God Himself. “The God of peace will be with you” (Philippians 4:9). When we draw close to Him, He draws close to us. He will never hold us at arm’s length when we seek relationship with Him.
I don’t know your specific worries, but I know you have them because we all do. Would you give those worries to God today? He wants them. Living in constant anxiety is not His plan for your life. Draw close to Him, and experience the peace that passes all understanding.
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We hope you enjoyed the sermon and would love to see you in person. Plan your visit to Community Baptist Church in Spring Hill, Tennessee today!