Serenity in a Chaotic World

"I have learned to the secret of being content in any and every situation..." (Philippians 4:12)

Biblical peace is the Spirit’s art in our troubled hearts. We end Paul’s letter where we began. Paul, chained to what most of us would say were impossible circumstances, sings a song and dispenses blessings. He is content and at peace. Contentment, you remember, is a learned art, so we can learn the principles of faith that must be put into practice in order to live in a peaceful place. The spiritual art of serenity is an inner thing; it comes from the heart. It is perhaps the most sought — after art of all. Who doesn’t want to be serene in the midst of chaos? The dictionary defines “serenity” as “tranquility,” “calmness,” “an undisturbed state.” God’s Word defines it as biblical “peace.”

Joy is faith dancing; peace is faith resting. Faith in a God who doesn’t make mistakes, who has the whole world in his hands—including my worried world—releases us to laugh at dark days and to dance in the rain. The joy is in Jesus. Where can we find joy in life itself with all its drama and pain? We find it in God.

In Philippians 4, Paul returns to one of his key themes: “Rejoice in the Lord always” (4:4). The Message renders it, “Celebrate God all day, every day. I mean, revel in him!” What a wonderful paraphrase! It is when we revel in God that we set our minds in the right direction. Whatever our circumstances, we need to do whatever it takes to enjoy God. All day, every day. Good days and bad days, bright days and dark days. Whether in prison or free, we need to learn how to sing our pain away.

Where can we find joy in life itself with all its drama and pain? We find it in God.

Practicing the art of incorrigible thankfulness and praise sends worry tiptoeing out the backdoor of our lives. When you feel a worry coming on, sing a song — anything with the name of Jesus in it. Revel in him!

Peace is faith resting in the fact that God will carry our worries for us. Faith counts on it. It is our soul saying, “I will trust and not be afraid” (Isaiah 12:2), and, “Though the mountains fall down and my world disintegrates, I won’t fall down and disintegrate, for I am banking on a God who is my refuge and strength, my Rock and my Redeemer” (Psalm 46:1-2; 19:14, my translation). The promise of a trustworthy God is this: “He will keep us in perfect peace if our minds are stayed on him — because we trust him” (Isaiah 26:3, my translation).

Paul’s letter to the Philippians just gets better and better. It ends on such a high note. How can there be more and more things to rejoice about in situations in which there are more and more things to be concerned about? Paul, who had everything in the world to worry about, says to people who have a whole lot less to worry about than he did, “Take it from me; you don’t need to worry about anything.” It’s not a question of things that we worry about disappearing off the radar screen, but rather a question of who is going to do the worrying about these things.

“Are there worrisome things around me?” asks the apostle Paul. “Oh, yes — like the trial I’m facing for my life, the care of all the churches I’ve planted, people I love who are dying for their faith in Jesus, old age and sickness, and sorrow upon sorrow. But I’m resting. I have perfect peace, because I have put it all on God’s cosmic shoulders, and he is carrying the crushing weight for me.” Such tranquility of thought and mind is priceless.