Trading Anxiety for Supernatural Peace
Information Overload
On any given day, when I scroll on social media, I am bombarded with unsolicited parenting advice, polarizing headlines, and endless visuals of comparison and performance.
This week, like many of you, I found myself wrestling with anxiety. A lot of hard things have happened recently, but God reminded me of this powerful Truth:
“God did not give you a spirit of fear but of power, love, and a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7).
So how do I trade my anxiety for supernatural peace?
The Spirit Who Gives Peace
What this means is that, as believers, we have been given the Spirit of God, who gives us boldness instead of fear, sacrificial love, and clarity of thought. He did not give us fear.
Jesus never promised a trouble-free life. In fact, He said, “In this life you will have trouble. But take heart. I have overcome the world” (John 16:33, NIV).
So, the choice is ours whether we will shrink back with fear or become anxious or receive the Spirit of the living God who offers us His supernatural peace.
God offers us a radically different peace:
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” (Galatians 5:22–23, NIV)
The peace offered to us in this passage is the Greek word eirēnē, connoting the absence of war, harmony, security, and inner calm. In ancient Greek culture, eirēnē was also the name of the Greek goddess of peace. She was worshipped with the expectation that she would bring about times of peace, characterized by national security and prosperity.
In the book of Galatians, Paul, speaking to the churches in the region of Galatia, says that God’s Spirit produces eirēnē. Paul, speaking artfully within a Greco-Roman context, took the existing ideology and conveyed that true peace is only found through God’s Spirit. And this supernatural peace is not rooted in circumstances or national security.
A New Kind of Citizenship
Prior to Paul, Jesus comforts His disciples on the night he would be betrayed:
“All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” (John 14:25–27, NIV)
Jesus was not offering circumstantial peace. He was giving them His peace. The peace that transcends all understanding.
In giving them peace, Jesus was inviting them into a new citizenship. His peace surpasses realms, circumstances, and time. His peace is not based on the stability of nations or the quieting of newsfeeds, but on the unshakable Kingdom of God.
My Response to the Peace Offered
Finally, Paul charges the church at Philippi:
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace [eirēnē] of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6–7, NIV)
Paul tells the church not to be anxious. He commands them to take all of their requests to God with gratitude. When they do this, God promises a peace that transcends circumstances and understanding.
In light of the events of this past week, we grieve with those who grieve. We continue to be people of prayer, but we also refuse to take on anxiety and fear. We trust God’s character and ask for His supernatural peace—an eternal peace found in our citizenship in heaven. It is a different kind of national peace, one not found in this world.
So, how do we apply this teaching on peace in our own lives?
Recognize that peace only comes from God’s Spirit. Any other offer of peace is a counterfeit.
Abide in God to receive His peace. Spend time in the Bible, praying, and worshipping.
When you experience a lack of peace, take your concerns to God. He promises to exchange your anxiety for His peace.
Prayer
Lord, there are so many things in this world I cannot control. I want to confess that I am experiencing anxiety/fear over ________________. I recognize that I cannot change this circumstance, but You can, God. I choose to leave this anxiety at Your feet and ask that, by Your Spirit, You would meet me here and fill me with Your supernatural peace. In Jesus’ name, Amen.