Let Peace…
“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts,
to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful.”
Colossians 3:15
This verse really struck my heart this morning! The little word, “Let” really convicted me. I have a choice. If I am not experiencing the peace of Christ, it is because I am not letting it rule in my heart. It is not up to my circumstances or other people to dictate whether I walk today in peace. It is up to me. I must choose peace. Is it easy? NO. It is a discipline. Ooooh! We hate that word, “discipline”. It takes practice. We let the peace of Christ rule when we take every thought captive. When we choose to be anxious for nothing, but through prayer and supplication we make our requests known to God, then the peace that passes understanding can guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:6-7).
Here are easy steps to letting the peace of Christ rule in our hearts.
- Give thanks in all things. This is how we enter in to the presence of God.
- Acknowledge God’s authority over all situations. He is King, and He is on His throne. (Line your life up with His authority.)
- Refuse to worry about the situation or the person. Rather pray and put the circumstance into the hands of Jesus. Visualize yourself laying that prayer concern before the cross.
- Meditate upon the truth of God’s word and upon His character.
- Continue steps 1 – 4 until the peace of God invades your heart. Spend extra time in thanksgiving and praise.
The next verse in Colossians says, “Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.” Again we see the importance of thanksgiving and praise. We also see that we must let the word of Christ richly dwell within us. That means that we must make a concerted effort to meditate upon the word of God. The word of God created all things; Jesus is the word of God. There is power in the word of God. You let it dwell within you, and the Holy Spirit will use it to transform your mind and bring the peace that you seek.