“And let the peace of God rule in your hearts.” (Colossians 3:15)
Recently, as I was reading through the book of Colossians, this verse seemed to leap off the page at me. Peace. It was a missing element at that moment in my life. I felt anything but at peace. Rather, pressures, deadlines, stress, and a feeling of being utterly overwhelmed threatened to consume me.
This verse told me to let God’s peace rule my heart. In other words, I realized that I held the keys to peace in my hands. I could choose to either let God’s peace rule, or to let my anxieties rule.
It was a matter of obedience, for God had clearly said, “Be careful [anxious] for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. (Phil. 4:6-8, emphasis mine)
In that moment, I realized that I was worried and fretful about many things because I had not taken the time to pray and commit each issue to the Lord. I made a list in my journal of each item about which I was worried. These issues didn’t look so overwhelming once they were on paper, and I realized how silly I was to be stressed.
One by one, I prayed over each item on my list, committing them into the Lord’s care and voicing my trust in Him to bring everything to pass. As I went through this simple exercise, God brought to mind one of my favorite verses from the Psalms: “Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass…Rest in the LORD…” (Psalm 37:5, 7) There was such freedom in taking this step of obedience! It was as though the many worries which had previously loomed up before me as giants to be overcome simply evaporated into the air. No longer did I look toward the future with all its activities and deadlines and responsibilities with dread.
God’s promises proved true. As I prayed about everything with thanksgiving, He gave me peace which passes all understanding. As I committed my way unto the Lord and trusted in Him, He brought everything to pass in His perfect way!
“Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.” (Isaiah 26:3)
Thank You, Lord, for your peace, and for teaching me to let it rule my heart. May it be a lesson I won’t soon forget!
4 comments:
Thanks for the encouragement - we needed to hear that. So true!
wow, that was really cool! I think I am going to do the same thing! :D I love you, love quinn
Hi there! I somehow found your blog through Josh & Kelsie's. Just wanted to say that this post was especially EXCELLENT! Every Christian needs to hear about and practice this sort of pro-active spiritual lifestyle! Great encouragement; thanks. :)
Hi Caris! Thanks for stopping by this little corner of the web and sharing how you were encouraged. It is such a blessing to know God used this post in your life. May He receive all the glory! His Word is truly rich!
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