Have you ever witnessed a person of faith demonstrate an extraordinary “calm” in adverse circumstances? Is such a “calm” the result of training? Is it inherent in one’s personality and outside the grasp of others? Is it only acquired through the endurance of varied adversities, like the quality of patience (cf. Jas. 1:3)?

When we consider the wonderful promise given by the Holy Spirit, it appears that such “calm” is within all of our grasps. It is written, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:6-7).

For people of faith, the apparent “calm” that some are able to maintain in adverse circumstances is the result of their deep and abiding trust in God. The prophet Isaiah suggests that those kept in “perfect peace” are those whose mind is “stayed on” the Lord. They “trust in” the Lord (Isa. 26:3).

What we often don’t see are the silent prayers offered by those whose first instinct in distress is to turn to God. Such an immediate reaction is not an afterthought, it is a deeply ingrained response of the soul that is the result of the unfailing trust they have cultivated in God (Prov. 3:5-6). They believe in God.

Taking this one step further, such peace is often the result of forethought. Hours of prayer prepared them for distresses that, during the offering of those prayers, were yet unforeseen. When adverse circumstances arose, they were not “calm” because they were superhuman. They were calm because they were ready. They knew beyond any doubt that God would “guard their hearts and minds” and that encouraged them.

Do we know this kind of peace? Do we have this kind of trust in God?