"Lord, I don't ask that I should win, but please, please don't let me finish behind Akabusi."
Peace
And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:7In a world of competition, anxieties about selection, injury, success and failure, new contracts etc where do we find peace?
The starting point is to find peace WITH God which Paul, in Romans 5:1, lists as one of the benefits of being a Christian. When we believe in Jesus and accept his forgiveness, you receive that peace with God. Once we have peace with God, then we are able to experience the peace OF God.
Throughout Philippians 4, Paul describes the benefits of God’s peace and how we take advantage of that peace.
Having God’s peace means that we need not be anxious about anything (verse 6) but can rejoice about everything (verse 4). By prayer with thanksgiving we can bring our concerns to God and receive his peace.
Paul talks about peace guarding our heart. Philippi was a military city so a military metaphor would have resonated with them. The idea is that God has surrounded your heart with peace so that there is nothing can get in to make you feel anxious. Writing elsewhere, Paul referred to the peace of God ruling in your heart (Colossians 3:15)
As you compete, train, practise, contemplate your future, remember that God’s peace is at your disposal.