Peace-a Command?

John 14:27  "I am leaving you with a gift--peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don't be troubled or afraid." (Jesus)

Colossians 3:12-17 "Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.  Make allowance for each other's faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.  Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony.  And 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.  Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts.  And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father." NLT (Emphasis is mine)

Sweet Lord,

Over the past few days You have been impressing on me something I should have seen years ago, but evidently was still too much of a babe in the Word for you to show me.  I have read the commands You give me in this passage of Colossians, and have even taught the "Put off- Put On" lesson to children.  I have seen those commands and have tried to live up to them.  However; I have missed the other commands that follow.

In John, You tell me that You are giving me the peace that passes all understanding.  In this world of turmoil, that is  precious gift that cannot be taken away.  However; it is obvious in my life and in the passage in Colossians, that I am commanded the LET that peace that comes from You rule in my heart and to LET the message about You in all its richness, fill my life.  This tells me that moment by moment I have a choice to make: get anxious about what is going on in my life and in the world around me, or let Your peace rule.

So, just how am I supposed to let peace rule?  You tell me three times here...THANKFULNESS!  Lord, it can be so very easy to get to the edge of the "Pit of Self-pity" that the enemy can just blow a tiny breath at me and I fall in.  It is very hard to get out of that slippery pit once I fall in and it is very deep.  The ladder of safety comes from a heart of gratitude!

I remember a time when there was a lot of illness and huge medical issues going on in our family.  I really had not been anxious or anything about it because I had chosen not to get bogged down.  I went to church one Sunday and a very well meaning person came up to me and asked how I was.  I told them I was doing fine...and that was not a lie.  They said, "You don't look fine.  You look tired...tired of having to take care of everyone else."

WOW!  That one sentence sent me into that pit with a slam dunk!  Only when I realized that it was the enemy talking to me through that person was I able to see my way out...GRATITUDE!  I started listing in my heart all the positive things You were doing in my life and in the lives of the very loved ones I to which I was mi ministering!

Lord, in ministering the way I do at my job, I see a lot of Christians that are oppressed by anxiety to the point of having to take medications to help them.  If they would only see that if they are truly a Christ Follower, they have that perfect peace within their spirit already...a gift from You.  They simply need to LET it rule their hearts and be grateful.

You say we are "called to peace".  We talk a lot about God's "calling" on our lives as to our vocation.  However; here You tell us we are already called to live in peace and to always be thankful.

Precious Lord,
Today I humbly ask forgiveness for my anxious thoughts that creep into my head.  Help me to banish them with thankfulness so I might  let the message about You, in all its richness, fill my life so I might be able to teach and counsel others with all the wisdom You give, sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with a thankful heart.  And whatever I do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through You to God the Father!