A Word about Finding Peace

 

Today, I want to share a word about how to reach our potential in Christ by finding peace as I comment on Colossians 3 verses 12 through 17. This passage reads, 

Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another, and if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other, as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these things put on love which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful, let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

The motto of Apollo 11 was, "We come in peace." The astronauts found a peaceful scene on the moon when they landed because there were no people there. Our world longs for peace, but peace is not found. We can't create it, and truthfully, when we stumble upon it, we soon ruin it. So, if you're looking for peace, if you want to reach your potential in Christ through finding peace, we need to look for it together in God. Because verse 15 tells us that peace is created by God. 

Peace is Created by God.

Peace among nations today is beyond human ability. There's been a war every year since World War II and probably before that. Since the Cold War, we've had a number of military actions that we ourselves have fought in the United States. The war in Afghanistan went on for 20 years. We're still having soldiers deployed to the Middle East. The United Nations, which was created to stop wars going forward, the United Nations has proved incapable of ensuring peace. So, peace within between nations is impossible, but peace within ourselves is also impossible. 

Drug and alcohol use is rampant. People are depressed and question the reason for living. Some people turn to suicide. Others turn to seek power and money. We can't find peace within ourselves. If we can't find peace within nations or between nations and we can't find peace within ourselves, what do we do? Well, we turn to God because with God, nothing is impossible. 

God is the sovereign Lord. He does the impossible regularly. And so when we're unable to do something, God is to whom we should turn. When my son was young, he often wanted to do things for himself. He'd say, "I'll do it myself." But then when he couldn't, he would turn to me and say, "Daddy, I can't do it. Help me." We need to turn to God because God creates peace. He's the only one who can. But also verse 15 tells us that peace is commanded by God. 

Peace is Commanded by God.

God knows how much we need peace. Jesus calmed the waters, giving the disciples peace and Jesus promised us peace which passes all understanding. Our God is a God of decency and an order. I remember reading a news article about the messiest dorm room in America where nobody wanted to visit that student in that messiest dorm room. I understand that.

God knows we need peace, and He knows we need order and decency in our life. He knows we need to bring our chaos under control. No one wants to visit the messiest dorm room in America, and no one wants to live in a life full of chaos. Thus, God insists that we accept His peace and let it rule our lives. He's the wise parent. He knows what's good for us. He commands that we accept it. 

Parents, of course, often make their children do things they don't want to do like go to school or go to bed at night and get a good night's sleep. To eat food that's good for them or even take baths sometimes. So, God creates peace, and He commands us to live in His peace. So how do we find His peace? His peace is outlined in the word of God. That's what verse 16 tells us. 

God’s Peace is Outlined in The Word of God.

How do you know how to fix a car? Well, you can take it apart by trial and error. Some people do that. Usually, it ends badly.  You can get someone to tell you how to do it. You can read a book. You can look on YouTube. You can take your vehicle to a place that has a diagnostic machine, and you can plug in the diagnostics and find out what's wrong with the car and what needs to be repaired. 

So how do we find out about peace? We know that trial and error hasn't worked. People can't tell us. No YouTube creator can help us find peace. The best way is through God's instruction book, the Word of God, the Scriptures.  We need to take His Word seriously. We need to study it. We need to apply it to our lives, and we need to help other people apply it to their lives also. 

The operators of a nuclear reactor ignore the manuals for that nuclear reactor at great cost and so it is with us. Our lives suffer when we ignore how to find peace through God's manual for life, His Word. 

God commands us to have peace. God creates peace in us. He does it through His Word but, also peace is provided to us through the Son of God, as verse 17 tells us.

Peace is Provided to Us Through the Son of God.

All books on losing weight say the same thing: there are two keys to weight loss, exercise and reduced calories. They just differ on how to achieve these things. Some authors will point to one kind of nutrition. Others will point to a different kind of nutrition. Some will point to a particular kind of exercise. But still, they only point to those two key things of diet and exercise. 

The Bible also points to the key to peace and that key is Jesus. Only Jesus can save us from our sin. Only Jesus can reunite us with God. Only Jesus can send the Holy Spirit to comfort and to guide us once we are part of God's family through receiving His sacrifice for us. Only Jesus can give our life meaning.

Conclusion.

 Do you do everything in the name of the Lord? Is Jesus your Savior? Because without Him there's no peace. If Jesus is your Savior, do you live for Him? Without living for him, our peace will be fitful, and it will be frustrating. God offers us peace by living for Jesus. 

Do you want to reach your potential in Christ? Do you want to achieve peace today? We do that by living for Jesus. Are you ready for some peace? Jesus tells us how; it is on us to pay attention to Him!

Every blessing,

Dr. Otis Corbitt