Speaking to the soul – January 2

The peace that comes from Christ

Let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful. Colossians 3:15

The world is full of conflict. Whether you look at international relations, national politics or even the life of your local community, conflict is never very far away. But that isn’t what God wants for us and so he has made it possible for us to live at peace through Christ, the man of peace. Paul speaks about Christ acting like an umpire who oversees our lives and continually works to ensure that peace occurs. However, the first word of that sentence is the crucial one – “Let”. That is to say peace won’t just happen. We have to give our “yes” to the peace of Christ. We need to welcome him into the centre of our lives and allow him to bring his peace to every situation that we face.

Peace is our calling as part of the body of Christ, the Church. That means that we cannot sit idly by when we see strained relationships. As in every other human community, people fall out with one another, even in the Church. That should always disappoint us but never surprise us. Our calling is to live so close to Christ that we will be continually looking for ways to resolve tensions and promote warm and trusting relationships. This is often extremely hard work but the outcome is well worth the effort.

Paul often encourages his readers to be thankful, usually in relation to our relationship with God. Here he speaks more generally of the need for an attitude of thankfulness towards others. When we are grateful to those around us for who they are and what they have done, it will do much to strengthen relationships and promote peace.

Living at peace is the most desirable way to live. Everyone can agree with that. So we need not merely to worship Jesus, the umpire, but to let him take control of our lives and attitudes, especially towards thankfulness.

QUESTION
In what specific situations do you need to work for peace at the moment?
PRAYER
Lord God, thank you for sending Jesus to give us peace. Help me to welcome his peace today and to share it generously with others. Amen