Colossians 3:15 “And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.”
The classic american past time is traditionally attributed to the game of baseball. Overseeing each baseball game is the home plate umpire. An umpire at a sporting event decides and settles with finality any question that arises in the game. An umpire decides if a player is in or out of the game. Basically, the umpire rules. Without an umpire, the game would lack control, calls would be questioned, and arguments would arise as to what is true and what isn’t true.
The encouragement given by Paul to the church at Colossae is in regards to what, or more importantly, who rules over the hearts of the people. Just like in baseball, the course of a game is determined by the oversight of the umpire, so the course of our hearts will be determined by who rules over it.
The text in the Amplified Bible helps bring some clarity to this issue:
“Let the peace of Christ [the inner calm of one who walks daily with Him] be the controlling factor in your hearts [deciding and settling questions that arise]. To this peace indeed you were called as members in one body [of believers]. And be thankful [to God always].”
Steps toward Peace
If the heart were without some form of control, it would be influenced by what is most favorable at the moment. The desire to please self becomes an all consuming motive for the one who places their desires as their priority. All who walk in the flesh know the dilemma.
“The world is so full of people who are grabbing and self-seeking. So the rare individual who unselfishly tries to serve others has an enormous advantage. He has little competition.”
Dale Carnegie
Dale Carnegie was an american writer and lecturer, he was most famous for being the author of “How to win friends and influence people”. One of the core ideas in his books is how it is possible to change other people’s behavior by changing one’s behavior towards them, a concept that was established long ago in God’s Word.
Philippians 2:3 “Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.”
The way God’s people look to the interests of others before their own reveals how they are looking towards God’s interests. This isn’t a natural response of the flesh, rather the flesh excels at seeking its own interests before it considers anything else.
Whatever the primary influence is in life determines the course of the action that follows.
- Peace begins and ends with Christ.
John 14:27 “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”
- To have the peace of Christ, we must allow Him to rule in our hearts.
The peace of Christ not only is achieved by a singular event that comes with a decision to follow, it also comes by way of walking with Him daily. The moment a person decides to commit their life to Christ, a transformation begins to occur. The enmity that existed between God and man was made peaceful when the sin that separated was absolved by Jesus’ perfect sacrifice. In order to substantiate peace on a daily basis, the believer must approach the throne of God in humility and repentance.
- To walk in the peace of Christ is to allow His Spirit to work in and through our lives.
A daily walk with Christ comes through the Spirit of God who leads His people in paths that strengthen and grow them in their faith. The work of the Spirit is His sanctifying work within the hearts of His people. To be sanctified one must know where the sanctification begins.
1 Thessalonians 5:23 “Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Who do you live for?
If we are too consumed with the approval of the world, we will turn our attention towards pleasing the world.
Brother Andrew was a man that courageously put his life on the line smuggling Bibles into the Soviet Union during the cold war. He would often pray “Lord, in my luggage I have Scripture I want to take to your children. When you were on earth, You made blind eyes see. Now, I pray, make seeing eyes blind. Do not let the guards see those things You do not want them to see.” Brother Andrew did not see his life as his priority but those to whom he served, he gave his life every day as a testimony of HIs love for Christ.
“I have come to see clearly that life is more than self. It is more than doing what I want, striving for what will benefit me, dreaming of all I can be. Life is all about my relationship with God. There is no higher calling, no loftier dream, and no greater goal than to live, breathe, and be poured out for Jesus Christ.”
Jamie( in brother Andrews “the calling”)
When we choose to honor God first in our lives, we are faced with a series of obstacles that must be addressed.
- What is really important to me?
- Who will I honor when the time comes to decide?
- How will I respond when the crossroad gives me the choice?
- Where are my allegiances?
- Why am I here?
We are continuously faced with decisions each day. We have choices to make regarding life and holiness. What I say or do at any given moment, is a decision to either make myself look better or to honor the One by whom I am called.
Deuteronomy 30:19 “This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live”
The areas I place myself in can determine whether I succeed or fail. If I set myself in sin continually, I am bound to grow weak and fall. If my influences and the people I associate with are righteous, I give myself the opportunity to grow and be a light to others who don’t know God’s peace.
How do I make Decisions?
The peace of God becomes the litmus test as to whether I am walking in the light or walking in the darkness of sin. By drawing near to the Lord, I become intimately acquainted with His peace. The moment I sense God’s peace beginning to diminish, I can quickly alter my course and allow that sensitivity to guide my steps.
Peace becomes the “Umpire” of my soul.
God’s peace is a peace the world will never know. It is reserved for God’s people and to God’s people alone will they be governed by it.
Matthew 10:34 “Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword.”–Jesus
The Lord doesn’t just cast a blanket of peace over the land, but rather to the contrary, the world hates the things of God and wants nothing to do with His path. For those who come out of the world, the world will hate them also. The more we resemble Christ, the more the world will hate you.
It will be in a moment, the moment you realize you are not of this world that you will have a choice to make. Do I go back and try to please the world or do I press forward, toward the high calling of God and trust Him for where He leads?
Becoming a believer is not an easy one but it is a blessed one.
Luke 6:20-23 “Blessed are you poor,
For yours is the kingdom of God.
Blessed are you who hunger now,
For you shall be filled.
Blessed are you who weep now,
For you shall laugh.
Blessed are you when men hate you,
And when they exclude you,
And revile you, and cast out your name as evil,
For the Son of Man’s sake.
Rejoice in that day and leap for joy!
For indeed your reward is great in heaven,
For in like manner their fathers did to the prophets.”
The path of peace leads to the gates of Heaven. On the other side is the reward for those who remain steadfast in God’s love. If your a believer, the peace that you experience now is only a foretaste of the peace that is to come.
This is the hope of the man and woman of God. What is known now will be amplified later and therefore they have confidence in all that God has promised.
If the Lord is directing your life then you will see that to walk in God’s promises is to walk in His peace.
U.T. 