Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. (Colossians 3:15-17, NIV)
I love this passage because it describes the balance of the Christian life.
- The peace of Christ can rule in your heart and make life a lot smoother…but you must let it.
- The word of Christ can dwell in you and transform your thinking and relationships, making life a lot richer…but you must let it.
A lot of us in the church world know that we can find answers in Jesus for every situation in which we find ourselves, but we’re not willing to take the steps necessary to walk it out. God’s power is available to us, but we must open ourselves to it.
Which brings us to the common denominator in all of this: thankfulness. We were once enemies of God, but He made peace with us through his Son. That should elicit gratefulness and should encourage us to let his peace rule in our hearts. Likewise, we were sheep gone astray, but He brought us his word to direct and disciple us. That should elicit gratefulness and should encourage us to let his word dwell richly in us.
The key to opening ourselves to God’s power begins by recognizing what he has done for us and being grateful…then pursuing those same things “in word and deed” in our own lives. Do you need peace in your life? Do you need direction? Start today by giving thanks to God…
