Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7
It’s easy to become anxious about things, isn’t it? I think it is a part of our earthly nature, and so will challenge us as long as we have these earthy bodies. But there is an effective antidote against anxiety. It is in prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, presenting all our requests, our concerns and our anxious thoughts to God. And how does God respond? He gives peace to those who trust him. Not just any peace, but that peace which transcends all understanding. Not the peace that is merely the absence of anxiety, but peace that mysteriously and powerfully transcends it.
Other than this passage, my only other recollection of this word is from my college days. Transcendental Meditation (TM) was taught and encouraged throughout the university. But this focused on ‘new age’ and eastern philosophies that I didn’t want to be associated with. I remembered the saying that if it’s new, it isn’t true, and if it’s true, it isn’t new.
Much of the time I suspect we settle for enduring suffering. Is that your experience – learning to grit your teeth and put up with your hurts and anxious thoughts? Or maybe you have learned how to cope with suffering: experiencing suffering and at the same time not being ruled by it.
So how do we pursue Godly transcendental meditation? The Bible offers guidance for those disciplined to learn this ‘secret.’ It starts with ‘being still.’ But being still isn’t the absence of activity and it isn’t a vacation into mindlessness. I am still learning but I think it is about contemplating the fullness of God, his peace, his purpose, his power in your life. Contemplating his Word and his characteristics may guide you into Godly stillness. This stillness is a preparation for a conversation with God, both speaking and listening. It’s about focused listening to what God wants to reveal to you about YOUR life.
Transcendent peace is not only found in being still before a sovereign God and keenly focusing on what he wants to reveal to you. It is about really trusting him to do just that. And this comes from faithfully following him throughout the whole day, through the business of life, the mundane chores, the sorrows, and the celebrations. It is about being mindful of his love for you and sensitive to his plan for your life.
So here is a challenge: try this every day for thirty days. Pursue his love and his peace; that peace which transcends all understanding.
