READ: Colossians 3
THINK: “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body we’re called to peace.”

Peace, it’s what the world seems to be striving for an never achieving. It’s always on the to do list and never gets accomplished. Peace may never come in the form of political sides getting along, and countries never going to war again…until Jesus returns. But God calls us, in Colossians 3:15 to let the peace of Christ rule in our hearts. One of the commands of God is that we have Christ’s peace in our hearts. What a good God! I don’t know any other ruler, or authority who would care much about how much peace we have, but God does.

What does this peace look like? What does it look like for the family who had to celebrate their daughter’s 16th birthday without her, because a brain tumor took her life in December? Kelsey was a bright, incredible young lady and is deeply missed, but her family is called to have peace.

Or consider Jen. Her family life is full of lies and depression and a serious lack of Christ- likeness, yet as a follower of Jesus she is called to peace? It doesn’t seem to add up for us. Sure we can have peace when we are sitting in the sun on a Saturday, listening to Bethel Worship’s “Without Words” album, but what about in the tough times. The times where school is overwhelming and friends are fighting. The times when the bank account is running low and life’s next step is as clear as mud… even those times Jesus?

Paul, the author of Colossians, tells us that the peace of Christ is beyond our understanding. We can’t muster it up on our own, we can’t make it magically appear. However, there are a few clues for us in the following verses about how to attract God’s peace to our lives.

#1 Be Thankful. God loves a thankful heart! Many righteous characters in the Bible are known for their thankfulness toward God. Take David for example, half of his recorded words are praising and thanking God. Tell God what you are thankful for, and why. This habit will increase peace in your life in a way you can’t imagine. You will begin to realize just how incredible life is when you have Jesus!

#2. Read the Word. Props for you following throughin2. Keep it up. God reveals mysteries through scripture. It seems crazy that a book written thousands of years ago by a ton of different authors can speak truth to us today, but it can and it will! Make it a priority.

#3. Get in Community. I hope you are a part of a church. If you aren’t… get plugged in. Leave a comment if you need help finding one. Then plug into a small group. We can’t grow very well on our own, we need the support of people around us to make sure we are heading in the right direction and challenge us when we become apathetic. Relationships with other believers will increase your peace.

#4. Sing. Yep, God loves singing! There probably won’t need to be any Bible reading plans in heaven, helping you understand God’s word better (because we will be with Jesus!) but you better believe we will still be singing to God our creator and King. Sing in the shower, sing at church, sing in your car. God is glorified with our voices, and will bless you with peace if singing his praises is a typical part of your life. When we sing, we open up our imagination to understand how big God is compared to us! That is a peaceful thought.

Seek peace; pursue it! Next time you want to grumble, complain or worry, check yourself. Are you seeking peace through these four things? God commands it, and it is the greatest gift you can have as you walk through this life.

PRAY: Thank God, praise him, maybe even sing…then leave all your worries with him, and take his peace with you.

By: KVH