Greetings Mt. Vernon Family,

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

In this world humans seek peace on different levels. Nations pursue peace agreements to avoid conflicts. As individuals we crave interpersonal peace in our relationships and inner peace within ourselves. But most important is our peace with God, where we quit resisting and surrender to His will. Peace! When taken in context Colossian 3:15 speaks of interpersonal peace, peace with one another in the body of Christ. To let the peace of Christ rule (be the umpire) in our hearts mean we allow the truth of what Christ has done for us dictate our actions. Umpires settle disputes by deciding how rules apply. We are one in Christ, purchased by His blood, members of the same body, partakers of His divine nature, not enemies, not competitors. And Christ has called us to peace—peace with God and peace with one another. These are truths that apply when seeking peace with a fellow believer. Pursuing peace is a choice and it takes work. For the peace of Christ to rule in our hearts each of us must put to death sexual sins, evil desires, impurity and greed Col 3:5. We must get rid of anger, wrath, malice, slander, abusive language and lying to one another Col. 3:8. Paul tells us to be renewed according to the knowledge of our Creator and clothe ourselves with kindness, humility, meekness and patience while bearing with one another and forgiving one another. The peace of Christ is supernatural, a fruit of the Holy Spirit. We must embrace peace, practice peace, and work at peace in our interpersonal relationships by faith. Growth!

Amen!

Be Richly Blessed,

Pastor Deborah Giles