Keeping Your Peace
How What You Think Can Help You Avoid Worry and Anxiety
By Pastor Jim Cymbala of the Brooklyn Tabernacle
Wednesday, June 17, 2026
출처 https://www.brooklyntabernacle.org/keeping-your-peace/
듣기 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WNs774L88i4&list=PLzzMcu25O6Rb11um1hTjwavMdINFaCssk&index=20
We learned /last week /from Philippians 4:6–7 [that worry can be overcome /by God’s peace].
Instead of thinking, “I’ll just bite my lip and tough it out,” we can experience what God has promised:
“Don’t worry /about anything, but instead tell [Me] [what’s troubling you].
Then mix in [some thanksgiving from My track record with you]––and My peace will guard your hearts and minds.”
But here’s another matter: what if we secure peace but then lose it?
Peace can be lost.
Then we have to go back and find it again.
I have counseled a lot of people () I love deeply //who lose peace /all the time.
Why?
Because they’ve got an incredible lack of control /in their thought life.
They just think anything.
They think, “If it comes /to my mind, I might as well dwell /on it.”
Here’s [what Paul went on /to say after he told [us] [how to secure God’s peace]:
“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. . . .
And the God of peace will be with you” (Philippians 4:8–9, NIV).
Paul, after talking about how prayer and thanksgiving can help [us] [secure peace from God],
then wrote, “But now don’t lose it.
Think /about what’s true, noble, right.
Let [God] [renew your mind], and start [to think about good things] /so you don’t lose your peace.”
[What we think about] controls [our emotions and, to a good degree, our state of mind].
And it has spiritual effects.
The Bible says, “As a person thinks, that’s [who he or she is]” (see Proverbs 23:7, NKJV).
We need to watch [who we talk to], because many times people will lead [us] /into thinking about things that are not good.
* watch ; To Be Vigilant / Cautious: To stay on the alert for something or to warn someone to take care
(e.g., "Watch out!", "Watch your step") 조심/주의해서 보다
We need to watch [what we see on TV or in a movie],
because it can make [us] [think of things //that will rob[ the peace of God] /from us.
God, through His Word, is telling us, “I want to guide your thoughts. I want to shape your thoughts.
So not only give [Me] [your heart], but also give [Me] [your mind].”
Thoughts might knock /on the doors of our minds.
That doesn’t mean () we have to let [them] in.
[Being tempted by an evil thought] is not sin.
Jesus had [evil thoughts] [presented to Him].
Satan said, “Bow down and worship me.”
That is a very evil thought.
That’s sacrilegious.
Jesus resisted it and said,
“No, get away /from Me, Satan, for it is written that I’m only to worship the Lord My God” (see Matthew 4:10).
Just because a thought knocks /on our door, we don’t need to say, “Come on in.
I set a place for you!
What do you want to drink /with the steak and the potato?”
But that’s [how we are]—we let [thoughts] in /randomly.
I don’t know [where thoughts come /from], but I know that Satan can suggest [thoughts].
Oh, yes.
One day Peter came /to Jesus and said, “You don’t have to go /to the cross.
Why do You have to go through [all that agony and pain]?
You should never experience [that].”
But Jesus knew [where that thought came from].
“Satan,” He said, “get /behind me, for you don’t love the things of God. You savor the things of man” (see Matthew 16:23).
Jesus wasn’t calling [Peter] [the devil], but He knew () the devil was [where that thought had come /from],
which Peter then took in and acted /on.
We need [renewed minds]:
“Do not be conformed /to this world, but be transformed /by the renewing of your mind” (Romans 12:2, NKJV).
We don’t need brain surgery—we need thought surgery /by the Holy Spirit.
We need [God] [to set a guard on our minds].
Why are [a lot of older people] depressed?
Because they’re alone, and they think a lot.
If they’re not careful to take in the Word of God and be discerning about their thoughts,
they can think /about negative things //that happened many years ago and become depressed or worried or bitter.
There goes their peace.
That’s why the Bible says () we should forget those things //that are behind (see Philippians 3:13–14).
We’re not Freudian; we’re Christians.
If a thought from the past doesn’t help us
—if it’s unclean, impure, not from God, doesn’t cause thanksgiving, isn’t noble—
why would we want to think about it?
My dad was an alcoholic for twenty-two years and beat the tar out of me /at times.
* Beat the tar out of는 비격식적이고 강한 표현 (사정없이 때리다로 tar 대신 더 나쁜 쌍말도 씀)
I saw [him] [beat my mother].
Do I have to dwell /on that?
Would that be good for me?
No, by the grace of God, that experience has been neutralized in my life.
[Dwelling on negative, bad, impure, nasty things] won’t help us.
If you’re reading this and thinking,
“Yes, the Word of God is right,” then receive it and say,
“God, I give [You] [not just my heart today], but I also give [You] [my mind].
Put [guards] /all around my mind.
I don’t want to think things //that will make [me] [lose Your peace and live in worry and anxiety].”
Prayer
Lord, we give [You] [not only our hearts] /today but also our minds.
Help [us] [to have good thought lives], even renewed minds, so we can be pleasing /to You.
If this encouraged you, you can receive [Pastor Cymbala’s weekly blog post] /by email here.
For More Encouragement
Listen to the full message of this blog post by Pastor Jim Cymbala: “Maintaining Peace”
Be encouraged with other messages from Pastor Cymbala: “Stop Drifting” and “Our Only Source”
Visit Pastor Cymbala’s Facebook page
동영상 Transcript 녹취록
0:11
11 seconds
- I hope you saw the last episode that I recorded about worry.
0:16
This is like defeating worry part two, you know Superman one, Superman two, this is worry part two, defeating worry.
0:26
So we learned from Ephesians 4:6, let's just review it to get to where I wanna go. Excuse me.
0:33
We learn that worry can be overcome by God's peace, which is supernatural.
0:40
So if you don't believe in the supernatural, if you just believe, bite my lip and I'm gonna tough it out,
we'll never experience what God has promised.
0:51
Don't worry about anything, but pray about everything. Bring your request to me. Tell me what's troubling you.
0:58
You can say it intimately to God,
that's why private prayer can be so powerful because there's things we need to pray
you can't say it in front of other people, just can't, too private, too personal.
1:10
So do that and mix in some thanksgiving from my track record already with you,
and my peace will guard your hearts and minds.
1:20
You'll have a supernatural-like blanket covering you to keep out worry and anxiety.
1:29
But here's the deal.
1:31
What if you secure peace but you find you lose it all the time?
Peace can be lost.
1:43
Then we have to go back and find it again. Pray.
1:49
And it's happened to me, but I deal with a lot of people in my life that I've counseled that I love deeply.
1:56
They lose peace all the time because they got a nasty, incredible lack of control on their thought life.
They just think anything.
2:16
They think that if it comes to my mind, I might as well dwell on it, I'll think about it.
2:21
Here's what Paul says right after what I just told you, still in Philippians,
"Finally, brothers and sisters, "whatever is true."
That's the opposite of false, a lie.
2:34
Satan is the father of lies, don't think about lies.
2:37
Whatever is noble, that means high class, admirable, that's the opposite of cheap, vulgar, crude.
2:46
Whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable.
2:52
If anything is excellent or praiseworthy, think about such things.
3:00
And then two verses later, and the God of peace will be with you.
So here's how it works.
3:10
[What we think about] affects [what we speak], obviously, and the state of our emotions.
3:19
Why do people cry when one hour earlier they were laughing?
3:24
Because an hour earlier, they heard a joke, and they thought about it and it made them laugh.
3:32
Now they just got news of a tragedy and they're crying.
3:36
[What you think about] controls [your emotions and to a good degree, your state of mind].
And in spiritual effects.
3:45
The Bible says as a man or a woman thinks, that's who they are.
It's like taking in food.
New King James Version
For as he thinks in his heart, so is he. “Eat and drink!” he says to you, But his heart is not with you. (Proverbs 23:7)
3:55
It's like taking in these thoughts and dwelling on them.
4:00
You eat eight to 10,000 calories of carbs in a day,
and you wonder at night why you can't get up to even get to your bed.
4:11
[What went in] has an effect, especially true of our minds.
4:19
So Paul, after talking about prayer and securing peace from God, he says, but now don't lose it.
4:26
Whatever's noble, let God renew your mind and start to think about good things /so that you don't lose your peace.
4:36
Watch [who you talk to] because many times they'll lead you into thinking about things that are not good, not good.
4:45
[Watch what you watch on TV or in a movie],
because they're gonna make you think of things that will rob the peace of God from you.
* 처음 Watch는 '주의하라', 둘째 watch는 '보다'
4:53
Not good for you. Not clean, not pure.
4:57
If you take in impurity all day long, young man, young woman, man, woman, whoever, whatever age,
what do you think result that will have in your life?
5:08
So [what the word of God is telling us] is [I wanna guide your thoughts. I wanna shape your thoughts].
5:17
So not only give me your heart, give me your mind.
5:21
It's not one of those bar rooms in the old Western movies where you just pushed the door open, come on in and have a drink.
5:30
Thoughts might knock on my door and your door, the door of our minds.
5:34
They might knock on the door, doesn't mean we have to let them in.
So let's get that straight. Temptation is not sin, temptation is an evil thought.
5:44
Jesus had evil thoughts presented to him.
5:47
Satan said, "Bow down and worship me." That is a very evil thought, that's sacrilegious 신성모독적인.
5:54
Jesus, obviously, to be tempted from those words, had to get a quick mental image.
6:00
But he resisted it and said, "No, get away from me Satan for it is written "I'm only to worship the Lord my God."
6:08
So [what we think about] is determined /by what we let in and serve a meal to.
6:15
Just because a thought knocks on my door, I don't... come on in, set a place for you.
What do you want to drink with the steak and the potato?
6:24
That's how we are. No, that's how we are. We let thoughts in just random. Just where did that thought come from?
6:31
I don't know where thoughts come from, but I know Satan can suggest thoughts.
Oh yes, he can suggest thoughts.
6:37
One day Peter came to Jesus and said, "You don't have to go to the cross.
"Why do you have to go through all that agony and pain?
6:45
"That should never be something you experience." Jesus knew where the thought came from.
6:51
Wasn't calling Peter the devil, but Satan, get behind me for you don't love the things of God, you savor the things of man.
7:00
It wasn't Peter being called the devil, it was where that thought came from which Peter then took in and then acted on.
7:09
So thoughts, ooh, thoughts, a renewed mind.
7:14
Don't be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind.
That's in Romans, read that and study it.
7:23
Don't be conformed to the world. How am I gonna be transformed and be more like Jesus?
By the renewing of my mind, what's in my mind.
7:31
I don't need brain surgery, I need thought surgery by the Holy Spirit. I need God to set a guard on my mind.
7:38
no, that thought is not from God and that's not good. That's mean.
7:47
Why are a lot of people when they get older depressed?
Why? Because they're alone and they think a lot.
7:56
And if they're not careful, and they're not taking in the word of God and they're not discerning about their thoughts, they think about negative stuff that happened many years ago
8:06
and it depresses them or it gets them worried, worried, worrisome thoughts, bitter thoughts, all kinds of thoughts that rob us.
8:17
Oh, I just remember what she did to me. There goes your peace. There goes all the tranquility God wants you to have.
8:25
I know that happened 28 years ago. What are you thinking about it for?
8:31
Haven't you been with people that they can go from let's say a neutral setting to get totally agitated
8:39
and lose their peace and begin to worry just by reviewing thoughts of past history.
8:45
That's why the Bible says forgetting those things that are behind.
We're not Freudian, we're Christians. If the thought doesn't help me.
8:53
If it's unclean, not pure.
8:55
8 minutes, 55 seconds
If it didn't come from God, if it's not gonna cause thanksgiving, and if it's not noble, why would I wanna think about it?
I know, but it happened.
9:03
I know, but what do I have to think about it for? A lot of things happen.
9:08
My dad was an alcoholic for 22 years and beat the tar out of me at times.
Do I have to dwell on that? And I saw him beat my mother.
9:16
Should I think about that all day? Would that be good for me?
9:19
No, by the grace of God, that's been neutralized in my life, but I don't wanna dwell on negatives, bad, impure, nasty things.
9:28
It won't help you. This is for somebody really in need of this. I know it'll help a lot of people.
9:36
I wanna be careful with my words here, but if you're hearing this and saying, he's right, the word of God is right,
then receive that and say, God, I give you not just my heart today, and my tongue.
9:46
I give you mecabeza, I give you my mind. Guard my thoughts, put guards all around my mind.
9:54
I don't wanna think junk.
9:56
I don't wanna think things that will make me lose the peace, I don't wanna live in worry and anxiety.
10:04
God will do that for us.
10:06
So let's pray, Lord, we give you not only our hearts today, but we give you our minds.
10:12
Help us to have a good thought life, even a renewed mind so we can be pleasing to you in Jesus name, amen.
10:21
God bless you.