“And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.” Colossians 3:15, NKJV

Thanksgiving is here, Christmas is around the corner, and all the happy feels of the holidays are fully upon us.  But what happens when the anticipation of family gatherings and holiday meals stirs more anxiety than eagerness?  I’m not just talking about having to endure long grocery lines or crowded airports.  For many of us, there are relational dynamics, past hurts, or future uncertainties that stir up pain rather than peace right about now.  But in Colossians 3:15, the apostle Paul invites us to a different experience.

HIRE A NEW UMP

“And let the peace of God rule in your hearts…” Colossians 3:15a, NKJV

The word for “rule” is actually a term used in Greek literature to refer to the umpire or official over athletic contests.  Maybe you know what it’s like to watch your favorite team only to feel like their success or failure is swayed by the referee’s calls.  Here, Paul is telling us that we can choose who or what will call the shots in our hearts.

If anxieties arise this time of year, we don’t have to let those feelings rule.  Instead, we can allow God’s peace to govern our hearts.  

That peace, by the way, is way more than a surface feeling of serenity or calm.  God’s peace is not an emotional experience merely but a relational one.  (Just look at the runway of relational exhortations in Colossians 3:12-14 leading up to this verse.)  And that’s good news, because the difficulties we experience this time of year aren’t just about long grocery lines and crowded airports.  They’re usually rooted in strained relationships that have inflicted wounds beneath the surface.  Praise the Lord, those hurts don’t have to determine our outcomes.  We can let Christ’s peace direct how we see ourselves and others in a way that results in relational wholeness.

LEAN INTO GOD’S CALLING

“…to which also you were called in one body...” Colossians 3:15b, NKJV

That relational wholeness isn’t just wishful thinking or the stuff of fairytales.  It’s actually a divine calling.  Sadly, brokenness and toxic relationships have become par for the course in our world today, but that doesn’t mean we have to be defined by that.  Jesus promises to give us a peace that the world cannot give (cf. Jn. 14:27), and Paul tells us that we’ve been called to experience peace, relational wholeness, union in the body of Christ.  In other words, God designed us for oneness!  And if that’s so, then let’s lean into it and embrace it as what we were always meant to experience.  We can pursue whole relationships with the confidence that God has divinely appointed us to enjoy them and that Jesus has died to make them possible (cf. Eph. 2:13-16).

BE THANKFUL

“…and be thankful.”  Colossians 3:15c, NKJV

This might sound like a disconnected add-on, but it’s actually a strategic conclusion that rounds out the invitation to let peace govern our hearts.  It’s as if Paul anticipates our hesitation about pursuing oneness, even resistance to it.  After all, it doesn’t come naturally for us to exercise humility and forgiveness toward whole relationships (cf. vv. 12-13)! But we ought to approach this divinely appointed oneness with thankfulness.  The term for “thankful” literally describes an attitude that recognizes God’s grace.  We can view the oneness we’re called to as a gift of grace, something God is doing and blessing us with, even before we’ve seen or experienced it in full!

So friends, no matter who gathers or who remains absent around the table, no matter the past disappointments or present tensions, let’s walk in this word.  Let’s allow God’s peace to call the shots toward a oneness we’ve been divinely appointed to.  And when we choose thankfulness this season — even when our story of united relationships has yet to be fully written — the peace of God will both govern our hearts and guard our hearts in Christ Jesus (cf. Phil. 4:6-7).

🙏🏼 Prayer 

Lord I pray for the courage to let Your peace call the shots in my heart this holiday season.  Even when I feel hurt or anxious, let my attitudes be determined by the wholeness only You can produce and colored by a steady gratitude that acknowledges Your grace in all things.