22 Days of PeaceSample

The Rule of Peace

Can you remember a time when you had a big decision to make and didn’t know what to do? We all have and you might be in that situation right now. The good news is that God gives us help in our decision-making. The easiest decisions are the ones we see that are outlined in the Bible. We know things we can confidently say yes and no to based on what we see in the scripture. We also have the ability to hear God’s voice in prayer. His Spirit has been given to us and we can hear the gentle whisper of His leading. But what do we do when we don’t hear the voice of God at all and there is nothing in the Bible that would give us a clear direction? Decisions like what house to buy, what strong Christian to date and marry, and where to work could all fall into this category. For these things, God has given us the powerful help of His peace. Colossians tell us to let the peace of God rule in our hearts. The word rule could also be translated ‘to be an umpire.’ Think of what an umpire does; they decide on if something is allowed or not. In baseball they would say if someone is ‘safe’ or ‘out.’ Let’s apply that thought to our verse. Colossians 3:15 could read as follows; “And let the peace of God be the umpire of your hearts deciding what is safe and what is out.” It makes a lot of sense. When you are thinking about a decision do you have peace or unsettling? If there are two options which one has God’s peace on it and which one doesn’t? I would suggest that if you sense God’s peace on one over another the umpire of peace is telling you that the one is safe and the other is out. Trust that peace to help guide you in decision-making. Once again with the peace comes thanksgiving. You can be thankful that God will guide you in His peace. Some people have turned down lucrative jobs, chosen the fixer-upper instead of the turnkey home, and have trusted the peace of God only to find out God was saving them from disaster later on. Do you have a decision to make? If so, look into God’s word to see what it says regarding the situation. Pray about it and listen for God’s voice. As you think on the decision see if God’s peace is on it or not. Let the peace of God show you what is safe and what is out and act accordingly. Thank God that He knows what is best and that He is guiding you the right way.