Let the peace of God rule…

Colossians 3:15-16
15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your heart to the Lord. (WEB)

I like how today’s Scripture reading starts… ‘Let’ the peace of God rule in your hearts. Then it goes on to say ‘Let’ the word of Christ dwell in you richly… When I read this, it sounds like our part in the relationship is to simply yield to what God wants to do in our lives. To ‘let’ Him do what He wants to do.

So many of us struggle trying to initiate good works to God rather than simply ‘letting’ Him do the good works through us. In Philippians 2:13, we read that it is God who works in us to will and to do His good pleasure. He is at work in us and our job is to simply yield to what He is already doing.

In John 15, Jesus talks about Him being the vine and us being the branches. Apart from the life that comes from the vine, the branch has no life in itself. Jesus goes on to say “Apart from me, you can do nothing” (John 15:5).

My prayer today is that we would all cease from our own striving and self-effort, and simply sink into the work that God is already doing in our lives. May we learn the precious gift of surrender so that we could yield to the ever pursuing, ever working presence of God that is in us and around us.

Philippians 2:13
For it is God who works in you both to will and to work, for his good pleasure. (WEB)