Rejoice in the Lord always… And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4.4a, 7)

Peace of mind. A phrase found in the words of all people. How can we find peace of mind? How can we remove the anxiety from our hearts? The stress and strain of life is too much and the exhausted intellect and careworn heart seek relief, but where? Could the answer truly be rejoicing? We are not seeking out some temporary solution, some finite fix that in time with fade or worse exacerbate the pain through delay. No, we long for the peace of God, the divine serenity that can withstand the chaos of this tumultuous world.

And the King of Glory comes in, Jesus the guardian of our hearts and minds. Jesus awaits us to lift our voices in worship, to rejoin the heavenly choir rejoicing in His love, mercy and grace. Our words to others find a grace we’d lost as we praise Jesus’ faithfulness. Our anxiety drips from the heart like a squeezed sponge as we silence the brutal world around us and kneel at the cross of Christ. Our minds meet the Messiah and we find his enduring mercy.

We cannot even begin to understand the peace God the Father is pouring into our lives. It surpasses all understanding. And our Father does not leave that peace exposed to the elements, unattended and endanger. The Father has set a guardian for our peace of mind and quiet hearts: Jesus. Let us rejoice together in Jesus, our minds’ keeper, our hearts’ guardian.

Jesus, I rejoice in your great love that secures me in the peace of the Father! You are guarding my heart and mind. I will rejoice and speak life to others.