Today’s Verse

Philippians 4:7

And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (NIV)

This week, we’ve discussed better choices than incessantly viewing computer screens. Today’s suggestion? Choose peace. 

World leaders have been trying for months to negotiate a peace plan for Israel and Hamas and for Russia and Ukraine. To date, the fighting continues. For nations, the opposite of peace is war. For you and me, the opposite of peace is anxiety. Been there? Me, too, and the internet and social media don’t help. 

First, there’s FOMO. The constant posts about events and experiences that others seem to continuously enjoy can produce feelings of exclusion and sadness in us. 

There’s self-consciousness, too. Seeing all the “beautiful” people online can make us feel quite unbeautiful. It’s the feeling of “less than.” 

There's also cyberbullying. Social media platforms are breeding grounds for bullying, where we can be harassed, insulted, or threatened. Constant physiological stress from negative feedback from others can also be debilitating. 

And there’s information overload, just the sheer volume of social media. Constant messages from multiple sources can overwhelm us and create maximum stress. All the comments. All the ads. All the opinions. All the pictures. All the music. All the noise. All the meanness. All the pretending. All the comparisons. It can be exhausting and disrupt our rest, even our sleep. It isn’t an overstatement to say that social media has become a mental health problem.

Do you know something? Paul had a better idea: Peace. Not just any peace, but the peace of God, peace, a gift that only He can give. Galatians 5:22 lists it as one of the nine fruits of the Spirit. Pray for peace: world peace and your peace. It’s a prayer He loves to answer.

REFLECTION

Remember the Old Testament prophet Habakkuk? He said, “...my heart pounded, my lips quivered, my legs trembled, and decay crept into my bones.” (Hab. 3:16). Been there? Yeah, me too. But listen to the rest of his message. “Though the fig tree doesn’t bud, and there are no grapes on the vines. Though the olive crop fails, and the fields produce no food. Though there are no sheep in the pens and no cattle in the stalls… yet I will rejoice in the Lord. I will be joyful in God my Savior.” (vs. 17-18)

Kind of seems like Paul and Habakkuk read each other’s mail, doesn’t it? At any rate, they both found peace that only God can give. As for you? Ask for His peace. Yearn for it. My friend, it will come. You have a good, good Father.