Let the peace of Christ control your hearts. (Colossians 3:15)
LET the peace of Christ control your heart.
It’s way too easy to overlook the first word of this verse and turn Paul’s command into some sort of fluffy platitude. Please don’t make that mistake. If you’re lacking peace right now, there’s a good chance that you’re glossing over that extremely important three-letter word.
In order for the peace of Christ to control your heart you have to do something. It is not automatic. I know, because I wrestle with this every day. The peace of Christ comes to us as a fruit of the Holy Spirit, but only if we make a conscious effort to receive it.
Over the past few weeks, I’ve been immersed in several ongoing situations involving members of my extended family. And, while these serious and extremely ugly problems don’t affect me, Eileen or the girls directly, they are causing major suffering to people we care about. In order to maintain my peace and sustain my hope that all of this can work out, I’ve been required to pivot on a daily basis with the help of Christian music, prayer, Bible reading and daily Mass. I’ve been doing all of these things for a long time, but it’s really coming in handy now. Making that deliberate effort lets the peace of Christ (and not ugly, painful and very real problems) control my heart.
I’ve written about this many times in the past and it’s something I’ve seen play out in my life over and over again. If you want to be at peace, you must spend more time focusing on God than on your problems. That doesn’t mean that you ignore your problems. It means that you don’t allow them to become bigger than they are.
God loves you, God is with you and God is bigger than any problem you will ever face. You will get through whatever you’re facing. Stop looking that the crashing waves that are battering your boat and start looking at Jesus. You may not be able to see Him with your eyes, but He’s every bit as real as that problem that’s taking away your peace.
Let not your heart be troubled!
~Gary
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