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
Hmmm. This is a high calling. It is hard to let peace rule in your heart. As a being-reformed perfectionist, it is difficult for me not to worry about things, even the smallest things. Paul is saying here not just to let peace passively exist within you without any impact, but to let it RULE your heart. Ruling implies authority. It conveys power over that which is under its rule.
It also says to let peace rule in your HEART. The heart is the center of will, the seat of volition. It is where all of our desires are ordered; it is where we determine the organization of our life. The heart involves the power of choice — what we think about, what we say, how we react to others around us. If we let peace rule in our hearts, this means that we let peace be an over-arching determining factor in how we order our life. We let God’s peace control what we think about, what we say, and how we treat other people. If we let His peace rule in our hearts, just think how much less stressful the world would seem. I’m not saying that the circumstances would change; they won’t necessarily, because this world is still fallen. BUT our perspective of the circumstances can change dramatically if we simply let Christ’s peace have control over our lives.
“Be thankful.” Wow, that can be hard. Again, though, if we thank God for the good things AND the hard, painful things, our perspective of the circumstances can transform our attitude and outlook on the situation. Thanksgiving leads to worship, and worship leads to thanksgiving. Both worship and thanksgiving lead to peace. I think a big way to begin letting God’s peace RULE in our hearts is to start thanking God.
So what can you thank God for today? What pleasant things has He blessed you with? What trials has He blessed you with? Both are what we need, even if they are not what we want. How can you begin letting His peace RULE in your heart?
thewayofredemption 