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The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:7, ESV).
I receive random reels on Facebook™, and once, I watched a video of Taylor Swift being escorted by guards.
Now I get video reels almost daily of Taylor Swift with her retinue of guards walking wherever she’s going that day. I also get reels with personal details of the individual guards and the fact that she pays 13 million per year for those guards.
Suffice it to say you can’t get close to Taylor Swift without a “swift” response from guys you don’t want to mess with.
As followers, we also get a guard, a rather unique guard with the name “Peace.” As Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you” (John 17:21). Our protection service costs nothing.
Let’s reread Philippians 4:7 carefully. . .
- The “peace of God” is used as the subject of the sentence. True to the Greek, “peace” is translated as a single entity.
- Let me explain further. We could say, “Peace protects us.” This implies peace — a literal/physical guard — standing right next to us, guarding us against anything that might steal or assault our emotional health.
“Peace” (not Mike, Jeremie, or Jose) comes supernaturally — prepaid by the blood of Jesus. Knowing this, James writes, “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4:7).
No assault can withstand our personal security guard. Below, I list the job description given in the Bible to “peace.”
Provides Guidance
Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts (Colossians 3:15).
Any decision that we make should bring peace, and any decision that takes away our peace should be avoided. Be still and think, “Do I have peace with this direction?”
Resists the Flesh
For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace (Romans 8:6).
Not listening to our security detail about the safety of our direction can be fatal. Just as Taylor Swift’s security would shout when danger arises, let’s tune our hearing to the Spirit’s shouts of caution.
Overcomes Confusion
God is not a God of confusion but of peace (1 Corinthians 14:33).
Do we have confusion? It’s not from God!
On the Taylor Swift video reels, she walks out of a restaurant with cameras flashing, people taking selfies, and others shouting for autographs — quite the chaos. But her guards maintain a security space in her immediate vicinity.
It’s possible, during a crazy day, to walk in the peace provided by the Spirit.
Peace! He’s permanently hired. And let’s thank Him for guidance, strength to resist, and wisdom for difficulties.
Also, I think that I’m going to stop watching Taylor Swift video reels.