April 1

“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace...”

—COLOSSIANS 3:15

Peace with God is one thing, but letting the peace of Christ rule in your hearts is something else. It is from the deepest core of our being, no matter what else is going on, that we can truly enjoy the peace of Christ. Though our outer world may be in turmoil, if our hearts are rooted in Jesus, He becomes our pillar of strength.

Paul does not talk about letting the peace of God be present in our hearts, but to rule in our hearts – to take charge, and to deliberately submit everything else to that rule. Because we are recipients of the grace of God, we will experience the peace of God as our source of stability no matter what is happening around us. It isn’t a logical peace derived from human capability but is supernatural in its source.

The peace of God is very different from tranquility, which is beautifully illustrated in a painting competition held in England. The theme for the artists was ‘peace’ and there were two prize winners. One painting was of a very calm, scenic view of the Lake District in Northwest England with a magnificent, mirrored image of the majestic coniferous trees reflected in the lake. There was nothing surprising about how serene and tranquil that painting was. It made you want to go there and it won second prize.

Another painting was of a violent storm; tumultuous waves crashing against the rocks, dark clouds, lightning and heavy winds. There was a rugged cliff that plunged into the sea and two thirds of the way up this cliff was a gull sitting in its nest, perched in a cleft of the rock, its eyes closed. The artist called his painting ‘Peace’ and it won first prize.

The peace of God does not mean our removal from difficulties. The hard times will come, but in them we can experience not only the peace of God, but His sufficiency. Paul tells us, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7). “With thanksgiving” expresses our dependency upon God, thanking Him for His presence. And we know that we have claimed His promise when we allow the peace of Christ to rule our hearts and cease to be anxious about anything.

PRAYER: Thank You, Heavenly Father, for giving me the peace of Christ to rule my heart and sustain me through any storm. Help me to always rest in You and draw upon your strength.

TO REFLECT UPON: Am I allowing anxiety to get the best of me in troubling times or am I resting in Christ, experiencing His peace?