Colossians 3:15 (NIV) Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.

Everyone wants to experience peace. Many people talk about their desire to see world peace. That is a lofty desire that I can confidently say we will never experience, at least not in this world. There will be absolute and complete peace one day, but it will be experienced when we are in eternity in heaven with the Lord Jesus. But can we as individuals have peace now? Absolutely.

The reason that we can have peace is that we have been reconciled to God through the sacrifice that Jesus made on the cross. By dying in our place and thereby paying the penalty of our sin, we were therefore cleansed from our sins and restored to a right relationship with our Heavenly Father. Sin had separated God and the people He created but now, that relationship has been restored with all those who have received Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of their lives. That means that all who have done that now have peace with God. Peace with your Creator is everything. There can be no peace without peace with God. In addition to that, Jesus gave us His peace (John 14:27). He said that the way that He gave it to us is not the way that the world gives it. The world can only give peace when things are fully peaceful, which in essence means never because there is never a time of total peace in this world. Jesus gives you peace that you can have right in the midst of the storms of life. No matter what the circumstance or the trouble that you are facing, His peace remains and keeps you steady through it all.

So why do so few Christians experience that peace that Jesus gave us? It’s because many don’t do what the verse above commands us to do, which is to let that peace rule in our hearts. We are a very stubborn people and when we feel one way or another, we act out according to how we feel. If we act out according to how we feel, then we will never experience the peace that was given us because our feelings are usually all over the place. We are up one minute and down the next. The peace of God, which is the peace that Jesus gave us, is meant to override what we are feeling and even what we are experiencing. This peace is supernatural. It is not based on things being good or bad but rather, it is based on a person. That person is Jesus. Jesus Himself is our peace (Ephesians 2:14). That peace will guard your heart and mind through every problem and every situation, but you must let that peace rule in your heart. If Jesus is our peace, then what that really means is that we must let Jesus, the Prince of Peace, rule in our hearts. When He is in control, then you will experience perfect peace because He is a perfect Savior who loves you perfectly. Let peace rule by letting Jesus rule in your heart. Perfect peace is sure to follow.

Pastor Joey Vazquez