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Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Colossians 3:15
What does the peace of Christ look like in your life? The Apostle Paul tells us, in his letter to the church in Colossae that we are to let that peace be the governing rule in all we say and do. Peace is to be the one defining characteristic of the body of Christ.
It’s important to remember that the body of Christ (what we refer to as the church) is not a building. The body of Christ is not a set of rules and doctrines designed to brainwash us into being clones of one another. The body of Christ is simply NOT church as we think of it today. The body of Christ is like any other body. It’s a living organism made up of many parts that look different, act differently, and perform different yet work in complete harmony with one another for the good of each other.
A body that is not at peace is a sick body. It is unable to function properly and fulfill its duties to one another. If you have ever hit your thumb with a hammer or stubbed your toe in the dark you know how great a body is affected when one part is not at peace. The same is true in the body of Christ. When we set up rules and regulations that exclude people or take us on a path away from the word of God we weaken the entire body.
Wherever Jesus went on earth, he brought peace. He did not bring peace in the way the religious community wanted peace. He did not bring peace politically. Jesus brought a peace that can not be acquired through religious dogma or sacrifice. He brought a peace that can not be dictated and controlled by government action. Jesus brought peace to the soul. He brought peace to the soul of the woman caught in adultery; to the parents of the demon-possessed boy; to the parents of the little dead girl.
The peace of Christ will dwell in us only when we come to a realization of who we are and grow in relationship with Him. His peace comes when we confess our anger, our guilt, our shame or bitterness. His peace comes when we admit to Him our doubt, our judgmental spirit, our pride. His peace comes when we leave the emptiness of religion and enter the freedom of relationship.
The defining characteristic of a body in which the peace of Christ rules is being thankful. A heart at peace with Christ is a heart that in the midst of any tragedy can be thankful. Not thankful for the pain or the loss, but thankful that Jesus loves and forgives us and promises to walk with us along the path of life.
PRAYER: Dear Jesus, Son of God, Savior and Lord of the world. I confess to you that there are many times I exchange your peace in my life with rules and regulations that keep me from experiencing all the joy I can have in relationship with you. I get angry. I let my past or the brutal, stupid attacks of others get in my way. I retaliate rather than let you protect me. I judge other people. Empower me with your Holy Spirit to live in peace because of the relationship I have with you. In Your holy name I pray, Amen.
This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm 118:24 (NLT)
Because I believe in the God of Genesis and believe that everything He makes is good,
I am resolved to have a good day.
Because I believe that nothing, absolutely nothing that happens today has not passed through the screening of His perfect will,
I am resolved to have a good day.
Today, if I am misunderstood, I know that my Heavenly Father knows the truth about me and my motives. Therefore,
I am resolved to have a good day.
Today, if I suffer from the consequences of my own poor choices I know that I will not walk alone because even then His hand of love and compassion. Therefore,
I am resolved to have a good day.
Today, if I suffer from the abusive hand of evil people, I know that my Father will comfort me and heal me with the healing salve of his love. Therefore,
I am resolved to have a good day.
Today, if I rebel and find myself in a situation I never thought I’d be in I know I can confess my sin to Him and will be forgiven. Therefore,
I am resolved to have a good day.
Today, if I am harassed because of my beliefs or mocked for my stand for Jesus, I will be comforted by the fact that Jesus Himself was also mistreated. Therefore,
I am resolved to have a good day.
I may not always agree with the things that come my way. My prayers will not always be answered in the way I hoped. Tragedy will come. Pain will happen. I will be rejected by my friends. I will lose loved ones. But because my faith rests in the God of Genesis, the creator/sustainer of the universe, who loves me beyond measure,
I am resolved to have a good day.
PRAYER: Father God, I don’t know what is ahead for me today. I may suffer loss, or victory. I may suffer pain or experience healing. I may be afraid or courageous. Whatever comes my way I ask that you would empower me to live my life in the realization that nothing can happen to me unless your loving hand allows it. I may not agree or understand but I trust you. Therefore I am resolved that since you made this day, it will be a good day. Amen.
Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Psalm 37:4
On occasion I used to officiate sporting events. Yep, I was one of those dreaded guys in stripped shirts. Generally speaking you have to have a pretty solid view of yourself to don the stripes and whistle. You go into each event realizing that at least half of the people at the event could very well hate you before you leave.
An old joke among officials is that if you leave the event with EVERYONE mad at you, you have done a good job! You simply won’t make everyone happy in that situation. In fact, you may be praised one minute for making ‘a good call’ and lambasted the next for being a complete idiot.
The people in stripes, for the most part, enter into each event with the goal of keeping the event fair for everyone. Regardless of what we think, the vast majority of the time they have no ‘ax to grind’ as they enter the arena. However, they are human and will miss calls, make bad calls and like any of us, just plain blow the call. Expect it. They are human.
So what does all this have to do with ‘taking delight in the Lord?’ Too often, whether we want to admit it or not, we often see God as a ‘super-powered referee’. We expect that because He is God, and He is perfect, and He loves us and promises to take care of us, that the ‘call’ will always go our way. Life shows us that simply isn’t the case. Life is hard. Life deals us bad ‘cards’. Finances fail, relationships fail, health fails, we grow old. We make mistakes, we sin, we are abused.
The Psalmist encourages us to take delight in THE LORD, not necessarily in the things He allows to happen in our lives. The main difference between God and the people wearing the strips is that God can see ahead, is perfect and has our best interest in mind.
Taking delight in Him requires that we grow in relationship with Him, trust Him in every situation, and acknowledge that even when things don’t go our way, our Heavenly Father always knows what is best.
It’s an interesting phenomenon but people who take delight in the Lord can enjoy peace and contentment even in the toughest times. Don’t judge God on the things we see around us. Judge Him on who He is. His loves for you supersedes the tough times of life.
PRAYER: Father God. I confess to you that there are times when I don’t agree with the way things are going in my life. Some of my prayers seem unanswered. Others are answered but not in the way I asked. I get angry with you. I lose hope. When that happens the joy of relationship with You is tarnished. Forgive me for wanting my own way. Help me to trust You even during the times when You don’t answer me the way I want. In Jesus name, Amen.
For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him. You have done a foolish thing, and from now on you will be at war.” 2 Chronicles 16:9
After Solomon was King of Israel, the country was divided by civil war into two nations, Israel and Judah. Although these two nations were of the same ancestry, they fought continuously. One day Asa, king of Judah heard that the King of Israel was planning to take some of Judah’s land and perhaps attack.
Asa went to the temple, but not to pray. He went to the temple to take some of the gold and silver that belonged to God and use it to pay off a neighboring king to help defend Judah from Israel. God spoke to Asa through a prophet. In effect, God’s words went something like this.
“Asa, don’t you know that I am sitting here in heaven looking over the entire world just looking for people who need my help? Don’t you realize that I want nothing more than to help you in the battles of life? Haven’t you figured out yet that I’m waiting here for you to ask for help? Yet you still go to other kings, other places to get your protection. From now on you will be subject to those around you and you will face many struggles.
Now, one would think that Asa would have listened to the prophet and confessed his lack of trust in God, but that wasn’t the case. Asa became angry with the prophet and with God. He threw the prophet in prison and tortured him.
Years later, Asa got a serious disease. Once again he refused to ask God for help in healing him and he eventually died.
The tragic story of Asa is played out everyday by people here on earth. We may think that God isn’t interested in our ‘small problems’. I was talking with a woman one day who was telling me her problems. I asked if she’d prayed about it and her response was, “He’s got plenty of bigger problems in the world to deal with. He can’t be bothered by me.” The sad thing was, she really believed that and sometimes we do to.
We may be like a stubborn child who refuses a parent’s help to get dressed. Even though we may struggle with life’s problems we are convinced that if we just try harder we will be able to conquer what ever it is that is troubling us. We may change jobs, or end relationships, or blame others all in an effort to get through this journey called life. We’d never admit it, but in a sense we are saying to God, “I know how to do this better than you. Step aside and see how it’s done!”
Regardless of what you are going through today, realize this. Your Heavenly Father is like an eagle soaring high above the earth, watching your every move and seeing what lies ahead. He not only sees your struggle, He sees your heart. He is waiting for you to let go and trust Him. He may allow you to go through consequences and pain to make you stronger, but He will never leave you alone if you call on Him and walk in relationship with Him.
Your Heavenly Father longs to be involved in every decision of your life because of His great love for you. Invite Him to walk the path of life with you.
PRAYER: Father God. I confess to you that there are many times I have taken matters into my own hands and never even thought of asking for your help. I praise you for the lesson of Asa and the reality that you are watching my every move and know my heart and desires. Right now I’m struggling with life and with consequences of my own choices. Forgive me from forgetting you and empower me with your Spirit to walk in such close relationship with you that you are involved in every decision of my life. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.
Be generous: Invest in acts of charity. Charity yields high returns. Don’t hoard your goods; spread them around. Be a blessing to others. This could be your last night. Ecclesiastes 11:1-2 (The Message)
The story is told of two gentleman that grew up in a small town in the plains of the USA. Both men were well known in the small town where they lived. One was very rich. He drove the finest cars, his ranch had many acres of wheat and cattle, and the equipment he owned was always the latest model. He never married and lived alone in a huge home on top of a hill outside town. His home was clearly visible to any who would pass by.
The other gentleman lived on a modest ranch. While he had many acres of land his equipment was old and would often break down. He had several children of his own but most of the kids in town called him ‘dad’. It seems there was always a party going on at his modest home with lots of laughing and games and fun!
One day both men fell seriously ill. The wealthy man lay in bed for days until finally, he died. No one found him for months because they seldom saw him around town anyway. The second man was showered with concern and prayers. His chores were gladly taken care of by his children and those in town.
A few days after the first gentleman died there was a small funeral at the local church. Years later, when the second man died the entire town turned out to honor the life of this man. What was the difference between the men? Both men were very wealthy financially, but the difference between the two men is that the first person invested all of his time in making more money, having the newest gadgets and making a ‘name for himself.’
The second man invested his life in relationships. While he could have spent his money on himself, he was far more concerned about helping others and sharing what he had with others.
Solomon, in his wisdom tells each of us to invest the things God has given us in the lives of others. Status, homes, toys and healthy retirement accounts will all come to an end. The things we do to invest in relationships will last for eternity.
PRAYER: Father God, I thank you that I am so blessed. I don’t have much money. I’m not world famous by any means. But you’ve given me life! Help me to see ways in which I can share what you have given me with others. In Jesus name, Amen.
