Last week I wrote about dwelling in the land that God offers you when you become a part of his family by trusting and obeying Jesus. That “land” is spiritual right now and later it will also have a physical aspect to it during the millennial reign of Jesus and after he introduces a new, eternal heaven and earth. This week I wanted to focus on a key aspect of dwelling which is peace. Increasingly I encounter people who are agitated, worried, anxious, afraid, uncertain, and urgently striving for relief. At times I feel this also. Yet we don’t have to. God is never worried or uncertain. In fact, Jesus, God the Son, is the Prince of peace. You can experience complete fulfillment, assurance, security, and rest if you let the peace of Jesus rule in your heart.
In the Bible the apostle Paul wrote to followers of Jesus to encourage them to dwell in the peace of Jesus Christ. “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace” (Colossians 3:15). I’d like to briefly break this advice down into two parts to see how we can apply it to our lives.
Let the Peace of Christ Rule
Through the struggle and strife of our turbulent, spiritually-barren world, the peace of God flows like a life-giving river. God’s peace is available to anyone who will enter it. People don’t have peace because their self-centered way of putting themselves first above God and others causes countless conflicts. It separates them from God, the source of true, lasting peace. Jesus came to provide people peace by making a way to be saved from the deadly results of their wrongdoing and be reconciled and restored with God. Jesus taught, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). He is calling you, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30).
Trust and obey Jesus. Follow him as he guides you in his better way. Give him your concerns and fears and leave them with him. Exchange them for his joy and peace. “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:4-7).
Note that peace does not come from running away from problems, from attempting to temporarily escape through mind-altering substances, or by pursuing comfort. Rather in this present evil age, God’s peace comes amidst trial not from the absence of it. Jesus openly shared with his followers the difficulty they would face for their faith in him, but he assured them it would be okay. Jesus taught, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). Jesus understands everything you are going through. Although he was tempted in every way and experienced the most horrendous suffering by bearing the sin of the world to save people, he never faltered and was always at peace. Although you face trying circumstances and people, you can know God’s peace.
Anyone who trusts and obeys Jesus experiences a new outlook on life with a joyful, hopeful assurance of the victory over sin, death, and Satan that he secured on their behalf at the cross. In writing to believers in Rome, Paul put it this way, “Therefore, since we [believers] have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us” (Romans 5:1-5). Paul continues this line of thought in Colossians, “Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory” (Colossians 3:1-4). Let the peace of Christ rule in your heart.
You Are Called to Peace
God created you and loves you. He wants you to be with him, to be like him, and to do what he does. If you accept him by faith he adopts you as his beloved child. As he provides peace to you, he is calling you as his representative to extend that peace to others. So seek to unify and not divide. Build up and don’t tear down. Forgive others. Extend grace and mercy. Humbly treat others the way you would want to be treated. “Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone” (Romans 12:17-18). Those that do are blessed for the peace they sow produces a harvest of righteousness (Matthew 5:9; James 3:18).
Conclusion
You will only find true and lasting peace with God. Trusting and obeying Jesus allows you to know God and partake in his transcendent peace. The prophet Isaiah recognized this when he wrote of God, “You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!” (Isaiah 26:3). So fix your thoughts on God. Let his peace rule in your heart. Then share that peace with others so they might also be reconciled with God and find their rest and completeness in him.