Php 4:7 reads:
And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Now, what I've heard from a lot of well-meaning Christians is that this verse implies that when making a decision, we should rely on an inner feeling of peace. So, for example, if I am choosing between 2 job offers, I should consider which job I feel more at peace about. But, it's my opinion that this verse simply doesn't say that in context and it's too big a leap to make from this text. Not only that, but nowhere else in Scripture do we find a command to wait on some inner feeling of peace when making a decision.
But, let's look at this verse in context (it might be helpful if you pull out a Bible or jump over to Bible Gateway). In verse 6, Paul instructs us not to be anxious, but to be prayerful instead. Then, verse 7 simply shows the result of this. So, if we pray about things instead of worrying about them, then we can be at peace about the situation. So, going back to the job example, I should be praying about the situation and be at peace knowing that God is sovereign and He is working in this situation. If I feel more at peace about one job than the other, that really doesn't mean anything. I could be more anxious about one job because it may not be the best choice. But, it could also be because it would involve taking a step of faith that scares me.
So, to summarize, the teaching of relying on an inner feeling of peace in making decisions in something that is not backed up Biblically.
Look into this for yourself and let me know what you think.
-JRO
2 comments:
Alright Jamie, I'll finally comment. You or whoever you got this thought from brings up a good point. We constantly take what we want out of the bible and use it to our advantage. This is another example of how we can have our "feel-good" Christianity. The "peace of God", in some people's minds, comes without an effort on our part. Now, I do not underestimate the power of God giving us peace without us praying (because he is all-powerful), but he calls us to be in close contact with him, praying constantly (1 Thess. 5:16-18, James 5:13-20). And it says in verse 7 that if we pray to God about our concerns, he will give us that peace about our decisions. So, pray before you seek that peace. Is it always that easy, though?
That is a great post.
If we are not looking for a feeling of validation, then what kind of response should we expect from God, especially in a situation like the one you described where we are trying to choose between several options? Is there a way that we can have more confidence (outside of a peaceful feeling) that we are making the right decision? Or, by praying, must we also have faith that God is changing our desires and controlling the situation so that we definitely make the right choice?
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