Colossians 3: 15
“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.”
“Since God chose you to be the holy people He loves, you must cloth yourselves with tender-hearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Make allowance for each others faults and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember the Lord forgave you so you must forgive others. Above all, clothe yourselves with love which
binds us all together in perfect harmony and let the peace which comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace and always be thankful. Let the message about Christ, in all it’s richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom He gives.. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. And whatever you do or say do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.” Colossians 3: 12 – 17
Paul speaks of the supremacy of Christ in Chapter 1 and how, through Him, God created everything 1: 16. Christ is also head of the church 1:18 and our Allegiance to Jesus as Lord must transcend differences. A “true” allegiance to our Savior will result in peaceful, harmonious relationships within the body of Christ and His church. It just will!! If we struggle with it then it calls for a true” evaluation of where we stand in our faith. We must clothe ourselves in love and forgive our offenders as Christ forgave us.
Peace is our inheritance and we are asked to enter into it by believing His words and trusting Him through our difficulties.
I so love the concept and very nature of peace. It’s a gentle resting and trusting in the Lord. Actually, as ironic as it sounds, peace is an aggressive method of warfare for quickly defeating the enemy. Generally our first reaction when someone or something upsets us is to feel hurt, disappointment, frustration, anger, jealousy or bitterness. All of the above are things that open the door to strife giving the enemy a foothold and a ticket into the intricacies of our life. Our warfare? Revenge? No, absolutely not!! When does revenge bring peace? The best defense for trouble is pure simple trust in the sovereign God, the righteous judge!! The One who says “Fear not, I am with you, be not dismayed, I am Your God, and I will strengthen you and uphold you with my victorious right hand of righteousness and justice. The enemy can’t handle us when the peace of Christ rules us. The peace of Christ reigning and ruling within is reason enough to rejoice and be thankful!
Hope and Healing In Hard Places 