Only One Surefire Source for Finding Peace

The story is told about the little boy who dumped a package of Jolly Green Giant vegetables into a blender. “What are you doing, Billy?” his mother asked. “I want to see whirled peas!” Most of us might have little interest in whirled peas, but wouldn’t we all like to experience world peace?

Televised beauty pageants seem to have lost much of their popularity, but I remember when contestants would be interviewed and asked, “If chosen Miss So-and-So, what would you like to achieve during your reign?” Some would smile prettily and respond, “World peace!” Good luck with that!

 

Sadly, history has shown us true world peace is more elusive than the mythical pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Throughout time humankind has either been starting wars, in the midst of wars, or trying to conclude wars. Why so much war? There are many reasons: Territorial disputes; access to waterways and natural resources; conflicts over cultures, ideological and religious antagonism; greed; quests for power and dominance; just plain bloodthirst.

 

But that’s the absence of peace on a global scale. What about on a personal level? We find peace to be fleeting there as well. Family conflict, work challenges, financial hardships, physical illness and ailments, aging, and the reality of living in a chaotic world all can disrupt our sense of peace. As a result, we find ourselves dealing with constant worry, sleepless nights, anxiety, and a variety of other ways distress can manifest itself.

 

In search of peace, people try a smorgasbord of hoped-for remedies: Mystical meditation, medication or substance abuse, positive thinking strategies, soothing music, many forms of distraction, even denial. ‘I just won’t think about it!’

 

Yes, it can be difficult to find peace in environments of constant turmoil, but there’s one source we can depend on, a peaceful refuge from the raging sea: Jesus Christ. That was declared in one of the Old Testament prophecies about the coming Messiah: “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on His shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6).

 

We have just celebrated the birth of Christ once more, reflecting on the world-changing meaning and impact of that singular event. From the beginning, peace was central to His message. After John the Baptist was born his father Zechariah, a temple priest, became filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied. He said Jesus’ purpose included, “to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace” (Luke 1:79).

 

Then one night while a group of shepherds was watching over their flocks of sheep, “Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom His favor rests'” (Luke 2:13-14).

 

Why then do we still have so much strife and conflict in our world, if Jesus came to bring peace? 

 

Because the peace He can provide is not a peace that involves treaties and truces and the ceasing of human hostilities. He didn’t come to put an end to earthly, temporal problems. Jesus gives His followers peace that transcends the trials and tribulations that are unavoidable in this life.

 

Just days before His betrayal, mock trial, scourging and crucifixion, Jesus knew His disciples would be distraught to see their leader treated so unjustly. He spoke to reassure them that despite what was about to happen, they need not despair. He said, “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled; do not be afraid” (John 14:27).

 

Much of the book of Isaiah is filled with gloom and doom, foretelling God’s acts of wrath and judgment. And yet, in the midst of the harsh warnings, the prophet offers this assurance: “[The Lord] will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in You” (Isaiah 26:3). It’s like listening to the evening news, filled with reports of wars, dire health scares, murder and mayhem, and then hearing God tell us, “Don’t fret. It’s okay. I’ve got this.”

 

We find a related passage in the New Testament where we’re admonished, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, 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).

 

Elvis Presley in 1957 popularized “Peace in the Valley.” Speaking of unwavering confidence in the Lord, the hymn includes this simple refrain: 

“There will be peace in the valley for me, some day
There will be peace in the valley for me, oh Lord I pray
There'll be no sadness, no sorrow
No trouble, trouble I see
There will be peace in the valley for me.”

The little baby who more than 2,000 years ago was proclaimed the Prince of Peace and was promised to be the one to guide our feet into the path of peace, can bring an inner peace to each of us that confounds human reasoning. All we have to do is trust in the Lord and ask Him for it. 

Finding Peace in a World of High Anxiety

The film “High Anxiety,” Mel Brooks’ comedic spoof of Alfred Hitchcock-style suspense mysteries, was released in 1977. Without going into what the film was about, it occurs to me that high anxiety might be a good way of describing many people today, nearly 50 years later.

 

Ever feel like you're approaching a waterfall,
about to go over the edge?

Every day it seems we encounter more and more reasons for feeling anxious and nervous about our everyday lives and society in general. According to one online source, high anxiety can result from the complex interaction of many factors, some of genetic, environmental, and
psychological origin. Stressful life events and many kinds of trauma also can trigger high levels of anxiety. 

 

As I’ve mentioned before, just a daily dose of broadcast news is sufficient to put our teeth on edge. Frankly, I think that’s the newscasters’ goal. You know the mantra, “If it bleeds, it leads”?

 

Anxiety is something I’ve dealt with a lot over the course of my life. Sometimes I couldn’t even trace the source of my anxious state of mind; some days I still wake up with troubling thoughts coursing through my mind. It might involve family matters, finances, making difficult decisions regarding the future, or a variety of other things.

 

When those moments arise, I’ve concluded I have two choices: I can continue to dwell on them, fretting and worrying about things that for the most part I can’t control. Or I can pray, entrusting my concerns to the Lord, since He’s fully capable of handling them. He doesn’t need my help.

 

Several Bible verses serve as reminders of the benefits of letting go of my anxieties and allowing God to deal with them instead. One of my favorites is 1 Peter 5:7, which says we’re to “Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.” When circumstances seem overwhelming, this enables me to pray, ‘Here You are, Lord. I’ll let You wrestle with this. Thank you.”

 

Another powerful passage is found in the fourth chapter of Philippians. After being admonished to “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” we’re given this assurance: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, 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 4:4,6-7).

 

Rejoicing – and giving thanks. Those are two activities that seem foreign to many of us when we’re struggling with trials and challenges that have reduced us to bundles of nerves. But they’re important, because doing so means acknowledging our trust in the Lord and His sovereign control of even the most difficult times in our lives.

 

I just finished reading The Hiding Place, written by Corrie ten Boom. It’s about her experiences in Nazi concentration camps after she and her family had harbored Jewish fugitives in their home in the Netherlands during World War II. Even though the events she describes occurred more than 80 years ago, they still seem unbelievable. How could humans be so inhumane?

 

At one point Corrie and her sister, Betsie, were assigned to a huge dormitory jammed with women who also had been arrested and sentenced to grueling labor and horrific living conditions. On top of everything, they discovered their beds – if they could be called that – were infested with fleas.

 

How could things get worse? Corrie wondered. However, her sister encouraged her to be thankful even for the fleas. Corrie found this incomprehensible – until they discovered that the dormitory was the only place they were free from the hateful watch of the Nazi guards. The reason? Because the guards didn’t want to be anywhere near the fleas.

 

The Psalms are replete with declarations about how we can find peace with the Lord even in the most difficult, anxiety-causing circumstances. One I often call to mind is Psalm 55:22, “Cast your cares on the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous fall.” That is not a ‘hope-so’ statement but one of confident assurance, the earnest expectation that the Lord will always do as He has promised.

 

I could cite many more examples, but here’s one that King David, during one of the many times of fierce opposition that he faced during his reign, wrote: “I sought the Lord, and He answered me; He delivered me from all my fears” (Psalm 34:4).

 

Whether I wake up in the morning with anxious thoughts filling my mind, or something distressing happens during the day, I try to remind myself to rest in promises like these. Even in the troubling 21^st century, we can choose either to endure high anxiety, or to trust in the Lord and cast our fears and concerns upon Him.

During Uncertain Times Remember E + R = O

They used to say the only things certain in life are death and taxes. But increasingly it’s become evident that at least one other thing is certain: Uncertainty.

 

For most of us that’s not a good thing. We like the certainty of regular paychecks, our cars starting whenever they’re needed, knowing the food we buy at the grocery store is safe to eat, predictable weather, and many other things. And yet we’ve learned the jobs and incomes we have depended on can suddenly disappear. We might press the START button on our car and hear nothing except, ”click-click.” If you don’t like the weather, just wait a minute. And every so often we hear news of product recalls in which tainted food is being removed from supermarket shelves. 

 

And in an important election year, feelings of uncertainty are understandably heightened. Given the certainty of uncertainty, the question becomes, how are we to react? Do we walk around constantly on edge, on the brink of panic if just one more crisis arises?

 

Years ago, the late Tim Kight, a highly regarded leadership consultant, devised a simple equation for handling the critical developments and crises in our lives. That equation was E + R = O. This stands for Event + Response = Outcome.

 

For example, something occurs that makes you angry. How should you respond? Do you lash out in response, making it clear that the other person has offended or upset you? That’s how many people typically react, adding fuel to the fire of an already volatile situation. And why not? If someone has hurt you, shouldn’t you let them know?

 

Sadly, an all-too-common contemporary example is road rage. A driver does something to irritate another, the second driver becomes angry, and responds in a dangerous manner. A classic demonstration of E +R = O.

 

Interestingly, the book of Proverbs addresses such situations: “A hot-tempered man stirs up dissension, but a patient man calms a quarrel” (Proverbs 15:18). Another verse states, “As charcoal to embers and as wood to fire, so is a quarrelsome man for kindling strife” (Proverbs 26:21).

 

But it also presents a striking contrast: “A man of knowledge uses words with restraint, and a man of understanding is even-tempered” (Proverbs 17:27). These passages describe similar situations, both which stir strong emotions. We could call these the Event. The difference is in the Response. One is to turn annoying or angering words into a shouting match – Outcome #1. The other is to exercise restraint, seeking to quell the situation with calmness and reasoning – Outcome #2.

 

Let’s shift gears and consider the current tumultuous condition of our society. Whether it’s the soon-to-be-over election, the economy, or myriad other concerns, we can find many reasons for feeling anxious and fearful. Any of those can be singled out as the Event. We might not have any control over the Event, but we can control our Response.

 

We can spend the night tossing and turning, losing sleep as we futilely search for solutions to what’s bothering us. We can walk around like emotional powder kegs, ready to blow at the slightest provocation. We can opt for any number of other ways for displaying our frustration. Or we can refuse to let the Event, whatever it may be, dictate the form of our Response.  

 

In the Scriptures we find a passage that seems to sum up the best possible E + R = O approach. In Philippians 4:6-7 the apostle Paul admonished Christ followers in ancient Philippi – and us, 2,000 years later – to, “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!”… Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, 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.”

 

Just as today, people living in Philippi had many reasons for anxiety and fear. They faced persecution, troubles and trials of many kinds, and Paul wasn’t attempting to minimize or dismiss their concerns. But he was telling them worry and anxiousness were counterproductive, accomplishing nothing. So regardless of the Event that was troubling them, he urged that their Response include prayer, joyfully thanking God for His love and grace, and in faith presenting their needs to Him.

 

By focusing on God and their relationship with Him, rather than their circumstances, they could experience an Outcome of inner peace that would transcend or confound common sense and human understanding. Instead of screaming and shouting and jumping about, they could find solace and confidence in God who sovereignly guides the affairs of men.

What’s the Event that’s weighing you down the most today? Why not, instead of the typical, ‘Well, I’m only human’ Response, apply the wisdom of Philippians 4:6-7 and see how the Outcome might be different. 

Don’t Believe Everyone Who Says, ‘You Can Do it!’

Just as grapes are dependent on the vine, we can't
succeed apart from the true Vine.

As a journalist, I’ve always been intrigued by communications, both in theory and in practice. Today, with social media, the Internet and the plethora of TV programming, not only on networks and cable but also on many other platforms, traditional radio has become an afterthought for most people. 

However, I still enjoy listening to radio, especially while driving during the day. I particularly enjoy hearing some of the nation’s best preachers and Bible teachers. One of them is Alistair Begg, an engaging Scotsman who pastors a congregation in Cleveland, Ohio. 

 

Recently he was talking about his initial exposure to the American game of football, very different from the football he was familiar with in his native Scotland. We call it “soccer.” Trying to figure out the strange American sport was difficult enough for Begg, but what really caught his attention were cheerleaders.

 

As the game progressed, the cheerleaders’ team was getting clobbered. Unfazed, the girls continued to shout, “You can do it!” even though – as Begg recalled – “no…they couldn’t.” No amount of enthusiastic cheering could help the team’s overmatched offense and defense.

 

Bringing the illustration home, he observed that as we travel through life, we confront formidable challenges. We might we try fortifying ourselves with self-talk. “I can do this!” Or friends offer words of encouragement, “You can do it!” Sometimes, however, like the beleaguered football team Begg observed, we can’t. What do we do then?

 

We can grit our teeth and try even harder. Or we can quit, concluding that it’s hopeless. But there’s a third, and usually better, alternative.

 

Many times, when we conclude, “I can’t,” we’re just moments away from realizing, “but the Lord can!” Especially when we’re engaged in matters making a difference for eternity. This is why the apostle Paul wrote, “I can do everything through Christ who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:13). 

 

He was referring to the many times when he confronted great difficulties or had serious needs. Paul had seen God accomplish the seeming impossible – delivering him from shipwrecks, freeing him from prison, sustaining him through beatings and riots, and other trials. Even if friends were telling him, “You can do it!” Paul knew that without the Lord’s intervention, he couldn’t.

 

In similar fashion, Jesus used a common grapevine to illustrate our need to rely totally on God. Just as the branches must draw their sustenance from the vine, He said, “I am the vine and you are the branches. If a man remains in Me and I in him, you will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). Our best efforts and intentions – apart from Christ – amount to nothing.

 

I have experienced this many times, even when I didn’t realize how the Lord was intervening on my behalf. One time is forever etched in my memory: After accepting a job to work with CBMC, a Christian ministry, my family and I were moving from Houston, Texas to Chattanooga. My pastor suggested that I speak briefly to our congregation, asking them to pray for our transition – but my initial response was, “No, I can’t. I’m not a public speaker.” The prospect of standing before hundreds of people during a worship service terrified me.

 

However, God impressed upon me this was something He wanted me to do, and reluctantly I agreed to do it. “I can’t do this myself, Lord,” I prayed. “You’re going to have to empower me to do it.” And He did. 

 

God gave me a sense of peace and confidence. My nerves calmed and I saw the faces of many folks who had been a part of my spiritual growth over the past three years. As I spoke, I experienced the truth of Philippians 4:6-7, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, 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.”

 

Years later, working for a sister ministry, my boss asked me to travel to Brazil to offer encouragement and support for people serving the Lord in the marketplace there. Again, I thought, “I can’t do that. That’s not my area of expertise, I don’t know anyone there, and I can’t even speak Portuguese.” Again it was like God was saying, “I know you can’t – but I can, working through you.”

 

The trip to Brazil far exceeded my greatest expectations, none of my trepidations came to pass, and I even returned there a couple of years later. To this day I remain in contact with some of the friends I made during those visits. 

 

Drawing from his own experiences, the apostle Paul wrote that the Lord gave him the assurance, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness” and he could therefore conclude, “That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:9-10).

So, the next time you’re confronted by a daunting, even overwhelming challenge and people cheer you on saying, “You can do it!”, don’t feel badly if you know you can’t. Because if the Lord wants it to be done, He can do it through you. 

There Are Times When Fear Isn’t Such a Bad Thing

Do you like feeling afraid? If you do, congratulations – you’ve established yourself clearly in the minority. We live in a fear-filled world, and should we somehow fail to remember that, we can count on the mass media to give us a strong reminder. In fact, one prominent national news anchor declared, when he didn’t know he was being recorded, that the media’s primary role is to “scare the public to death.” (Actually, he said it more strongly than that.)

 

If someone were to ask what makes us fearful, many of us wouldn’t hesitate to respond: The cursed pandemic, which has disrupted everyday life more than we could have imagined and seems determined never to go away. But COVID-19 isn’t the only culprit in the fear factory.

Long before we had ever heard the words “coronavirus,” we had plenty of other reasons for feeling anxious about our health – cancer, heart disease, pneumonia, common flu and diabetes, to name just a few. We can fear not just for our own health, but also for our loved ones.

 

Then there are the ever-present financial fears: How can I get enough money for what I need? Do I have enough now? Will I have enough in the future? What if an unexpected calamity occurs – what then?

 

If those don’t suffice for keeping your emotions in fear mode, there’s always the future. As someone has keenly observed, “The future isn’t what it used to be.” With the craziness all around us in the world, we might worry about lies ahead for our children, or if you’re old enough, grandchildren. We might feel grave concern about the security of our jobs. Severe weather always seems looming around the corner. Then there’s another kind of fear – the unknowns of growing old and what issues that will bring.

 

So, if we enjoy feeling afraid, there’s no end to the fear-inducing options available. But if we don’t wish to remain in a constant state of high, fearful alert, the Bible offers numerous exhortations urging us to do the opposite. In Isaiah 41:10, God says, “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

 

Another passage, one of my favorites, admonishes, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, 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 minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7).

 

However, there is one type of fear the Scriptures don’t discourage. In fact, they highly recommend it. It’s the fear of the Lord, although this isn’t the shaking in your boots, anxiously looking over your shoulder kind of fear. It’s a reverential awe for the all-powerful, all-knowing, ever-present God who created us and sustains us every day. 

 

This form of fear enables us to maintain proper perspectives and set right priorities. Here’s a sampling of biblical prescriptions for having a proper, holy fear of God:

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (Proverbs 9:10).

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction” (Proverbs 1:7).

“The fear of the Lord lengthens one’s life, but the years of the wicked are cut short” (Proverbs 10:27).

“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding. To him belongs eternal praise” (Psalm 111:10).

“Blessed is the man who fears the Lord. His heart is steady; he will not be afraid” (Psalm 112:1,8).

“The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life” (Proverbs 14:27).

“The fear of the Lord will keep you from sinning” (Exodus 20:20).

 

When I read these passages and others like them, they don’t produce a sense of foreboding, that God is ready to pounce the moment I mess up. Rather, it’s a sense of confidence and security, a trust that as the title of the old TV series said, “Father Knows Best.” He's more than able to carry us through the fearful trials of life. And if we strive to heed what He says, life will be far better than anything we could experience on our own without Him.

 

If we truly fear God, as the Scriptures teach us to do, we can avoid succumbing to every other kind of fear that the world throws at us. 

Fear Always Ranks High Among Top 10 Emotions

 If you were to name the emotions you’re most familiar with, what would they be? Love? Happiness? Anger? How about fear? Does that one rank high for you?

Fear – along with its kissin’ cousin, anxiety – both are emotions that stir in all of us more often than we’d like to admit. Especially this year. If it hasn’t been the pandemic – and so often it has been – it’s been the economic consequences, social unrest and riots, along with severe weather, such as hurricanes, extreme heat, fires and other natural calamities. Then there’s been the constant political drama, with both sides frantically pointing accusing fingers at each other, assuring us that if their opponents are elected, that’s the end of the world as we have known it.

I’ve become exceedingly weary of the boy who cried wolf anchoring the evening news on one network, along with Chicken Little on another channel constantly announcing that the sky is falling. One notable news commentator stated off camera not too many years ago, “Our job is to scare the h--- out of our viewers.” And they’ve been doing a good job of it.

 

Is it any wonder the Bible speaks so often about fear? I’ve not taken the time to count, but according to experts on such things, the Scriptures command us to “fear not” a total of 365 times in the Old and New Testaments. One for every day of the year!

 

We don’t have to search far or long to find biblical references to fear. With the Israelites poised to finally enter the Promised Land, God reminded Joshua: “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:9).

 

Why this admonition? Because earlier, Moses had sent 12 spies, representing every tribe of Israel, into Canaan. Most of them came back with fearful, pessimistic reports of fortified cities and huge, well-armed people. Joshua and Caleb were the only ones returning from the spy mission who didn’t see a problem. Theirs was the original “minority report.”

 

In fact, Joshua said, “If the Lord delights in us, then He will bring us into the land and give it to us, a land which flows with milk and honey. Only do not rebel against the Lord, nor fear the people of the land…their protection has departed from them, and the Lord is with us. Do not fear them” (Numbers 14:9). But the Israelites chose instead to accept the majority’s conclusion. As a result, they wandered the next 40 years in the wilderness.

 

Centuries after the people of Israel finally passed victoriously into the Promised Land, their fear problem persisted. So in Isaiah 41:10, God offered this promise: “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.”

 

The fear dilemma is not limited to a nation, region of the world, or even an era of history. In his first inaugural address in 1933, President Franklin D. Roosevelt boldly declared, “We have nothing to fear but fear itself.” Many of his hearers probably thought, “That’s easy for you to say, FDR,” with the nation in the throes of the Great Depression and World War II imminent.

 

Remembering the horrific moments of 9/11 and its immediate aftermath, fear was palpable. Complacency and apathy dispersed. Without warning, an enemy had struck; we wondered what was next.

 

Fast-forward to the present – and looking ahead to the future – fear again has become a nearly constant companion for many of us. And with both the mainstream media and social media serving a steady barrage of negativity, the fear impulse doesn’t figure to subside any time soon.

 

What are we to do? Just grin and bear it? Anesthetize our anxieties with booze or drugs or whatever else we can find to numb our minds?

 

Recently in a small group Bible study, someone asked us to listen to the praise song, “No Longer Slaves.” It reminds us, “I’m no longer a slave to fear. I am a child of God.” This is an important reminder, especially since it’s an assurance we forget so easily. 

 

Jesus often addressed the subject of fear with His followers. Speaking about the prevalent plague of worry, Jesus told them, “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life…. Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom” (Luke 12:22-32).

 

Another time, Jesus and His closest disciples were crossing the Sea of Galilee when an unexpected storm sent huge waves surging over their boat. He was asleep when the storm struck, so the panicked disciples cried out, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!” To which Jesus replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” and He proceeded to command the wind and waves to cease (Matthew 8:23-27).

 

When that happened, the passage states, the men were amazed. Duh! And yet, every day we see God doing amazing things in our lives, or in the lives of others. The key, as Jesus pointed out, is faith: Not only intellectual belief, but also confident assurance and trust that no matter how dire our circumstances, the Lord is present and poised to respond to our prayers.

 

In fact, His last recorded words prior to ascending to heaven were, “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:20).

 

This year has seemed like one unending storm, one surge after another. Humanly speaking, we have every reason to fear. “What’s next?” But times like these serve to strengthen our faith, causing us to dig deeply to determine in what – and in Whom – it really lies. 

 

Rather than collapsing in fear, we can follow the admonition of Philippians 4:6-7, which says: “Do not be anxious about anything but in everything, 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 minds in Christ Jesus.”