God – Peace – Rule
Colossians 3:15
And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body, and be thankful.
A couple of years ago, I got into a fairly serious car accident. I wasn’t injured, and neither was the pedestrian who ran into my car injured very seriously (and I say ran into, because he literally ran into the left side of my car, denting it and ripping off the side mirror in an effort to balance himself). However, the ensuing events; dealing with his minor injury which he tried to blow up into a major injury, the injustice and hassle of the court case etc.. turned it into one of the worst seasons of my life.
No doubt, it was my fault, but that didn’t stop me from biting my nails, tearing my hair out and having quite a few sleepless nights over it. Reaching out for the peace of God was the furthest thing from my mind.
Reflecting on this verse and looking back, I realize why. Paul says, ‘be thankful’. This is because, in nearly every even adverse situation in our lives, there is still much that we can be thankful for. Being thankful in adversity has to be an intentional thing. Its not going to be our first resort, nor the easiest thing to do. Yet, having a thankful heart can often provide the peace of God that we so desperately need in our darkest moments.
Had I been thankful that there were no serious injuries to person or property, I may have been more prone to letting God’s peace rule. Had I been thankful that despite the court ordeals, there were people around me who supported and helped me through every aspect of it, I may have experienced more deeply, the fact that God was indeed walking with me through the fire and the flood.
This is how it is in our lives. We are not exempt from the dark seasons and the unfortunate situations that are a part of life on earth. Even if we have dedicated our lives to the purposes of God, the reality is that He has not promised to supernaturally lift us out of every difficulty and discomfort. But, He has said that we can LET His peace rule our hearts through every circumstance. It’s a choice. In every situation, to take our minds off that which is negative and depressing, and instead look upon all that He HAS done and gratefully express our thankfulness to Him. And then, we allow His peace to take hold of our hearts and rule, above every situation, above every power, above every circumstance, above everyone else.
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