Two-minute read.
“And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.”
Colossians 3:15
The peace of Christ comes through obedience to Jesus. For the Lord’s peace to rule in our hearts, we must give Him the final decision in our thoughts and actions, letting nothing violate His commands. Gratitude and peace have a close relationship; through thankfulness, we connect to the Lord for His work in and through us. As we thank God for His peace, we want to preserve it through obedience, which promotes harmony with the Lord and others.
A few weeks ago, I received an email not intended for my eyes. The author criticized me as a customer at their establishment. When upper management contacted me to apologize, I surprised them with my reaction. Instead of responding angrily, I chose grace, understanding the mistake, and letting the offender off the hook. As someone who has spent most of my life in customer service, I see both sides. Because I follow Jesus and know the grace He extends to me, I saw this as an opportunity to do the same. And so, the peace of Christ ruled my heart, creating harmony in the body; gratitude for the grace I’ve received helped me extend it to others.
My initial reaction did not involve grace. When I first read the email, I wanted to strike back. But as I let the emotion take a back seat, the Holy Spirit began to nudge me in a different direction. Instead of reacting out of my hurt, I let the Lord take the lead, relying on His strength to respond differently. We can’t experience Christ’s peace if we don’t let Him rule our hearts and actions.
Give Jesus control of your heart, becoming more obedient to Him every day. Create harmony in the body by developing an attitude of gratitude for the Lord’s transformational power in your life and then sharing it with others.
Praise:
Praise God for giving us His peace.
Prayer:
Lord, thank You for giving us peace that surpasses all understanding as we obey You. Please help us align our thoughts and minds with Yours, allowing Your Spirit to guide and direct our actions. Let us represent You well today and always.
IJNIP. Amen
