And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.
Colossians 3:15
LET PEACE RULE
It was C.S. Lewis who said that, “God cannot give us a happiness and peace apart from Himself, because it is not there. There is no such thing”.
Though Colossians 3:15 does not directly pose a question, it certainly prompts one.
Is the peace of God ruling in your heart today?
In the midst of a culture where we are continually bombarded with bad news, it is hard not to focus on all that is wrong in the world. In a world that is spinning out of control, we must allow the peace of God, which is ours in Christ, to rule.
If you are lacking peace today, it is not because it is not already yours. You simply have not taken the time to pursue it. Hectic lives and schedules prevent us from pursuing the Prince of Peace. God’s peace comes to those who take time in the midst of life’s busyness to be still and know that He is God. The NASB translation of Psalm 46:10 says it best:
Cease striving and know that I am God…
Perfect peace is promised in Isaiah 26:3 as we keep our minds fixed on Christ and trust His good and perfect will for our lives.
You will keep her in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because she trusts in You.
If peace is not ruling, one of two things has happened. We have lost our focus or misplaced our trust.
When we place our focus on Christ and trust in Him, we enjoy His peace no matter what our circumstances may be. He desires to give us peace like a river that endlessly flows. As a river flowing through the land provides water for life, so His life-giving peace flows through us, and renews our spirit. By resting with our Shepherd beside still waters, we find peace for our souls and God’s good and perfect will for our lives.
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Romans 12:2 promises us that as we come to the Word of God and renew our minds, we are transformed and can prove what is that good, acceptable and perfect will of God; we can always come back to the place of peace, the place of truth, the place of abiding.
It is in the center of God’s will, where peace abounds. Peace can be defined as God’s gift of wholeness to us. As we abound in peace, so shall peace abound in our relationships with others.
To have God’s supernatural peace at our disposal puts us under obligation to lean on it. Colossians 3:15 is not a command to seek peace, but rather a plea to let the Lord’s peace work in us: “Let the peace ofChrist rule in your hearts.” You have this peace, now let it rule.