Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. (Philippians 4:6-8)
 

Every week during a Resurrection worship service, we take several moments to pass the peace of the Lord with our brothers and sisters. It is part of the worship service that I genuinely look forward to. Indeed, we do this because we believe that as we greet each other with God’s peace, His peace will deeply impact those we greet.
 
So, why do I feel like I lose the Lord’s peace not long after service is over? Well, although God’s peace completely encompasses us, my theory is that the immediate cares, worries, and challenges of life gradually, and sometimes instantly, chip away at it. Because this may also be true for you, I want to give two ways to hold on to God’s peace
 
First, pray with a trusting heart. Paul's approach is simple: offer general prayers, specific prayers, and thankful prayers. When we pray this way, our hearts and minds are protected by the peace that comes directly from God. Paul tells us that this peace is guaranteed because it is based on a relationship with God our Father through Jesus Christ our Lord (Romans 5:1). Therefore, His peace, which surpasses all understanding, will guard our hearts and minds as we live in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:7).

Second, always fill your mind with positive thoughts. Our world is saturated with lots of negative news. But Scripture instructs us to counteract the bad news with good news as we meditate on excellent and praiseworthy things. “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things” (Philippians 4:8). Paul's words are easier to quote than to practice, but they offer timely advice from a man surrounded by hardships and negative news. What we choose to feed our minds either helps anchor us in God's peace or allows negative influences to sift it away.

Whether you feel like you are on the mountain top or deep in the valley, remember the words of the famous hymn written by Horatio Spafford: “When peace like a river, attendeth my way, when sorrows like sea billows roll. Whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to say: It is well, it is well, with my soul.”

Joe