6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
—Philippians 4:6-7
These words create a window into the human heart.
Anxious means pulled apart, fragmented.
Peace is about wholeness.
The Apostle Paul describes the inner journey from fragmentation to wholeness.
The antidote to being pulled apart by anxiety and stress is thanksgiving, or gratitude.
Here is a profound insight into the workings of the human heart: We cannot be consumed by both anxiety and gratitude at the same time. Gratitude displaces anxiety and stress, igniting the dry twigs of our faith into renewed hope.
It seems that our experience of God’s peace is significantly tied to our choices.