And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.

colossians 3:15

For the entire week we have focused on putting off the old self and putting on the new. Paul has listed the vices of the old self and the virtues of the new. He has focused on the necessity of forgiveness. The result of putting of and putting on is peace.

Peace cannot be manufactured. You can meditate, listen to the sounds of nature or take a walk on a beautiful day. While those things (and many others) will provide a temporary reprieve from the busyness of your life, they cannot provide peace.

You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you because he trusts in you.

isaiah 26:3

Peace rules in our hearts, not because of our concentrated efforts to make peace rule, but because of our surrender to the rule of Jesus. Peace is a byproduct, not the produce itself. When we deliberately put off the old self and put on the new, peace rules. When we intentionally forgive someone who has hurt us, peace rules. When we set our minds on things above (Colossians 3:1), peace rules.

Peace will never share the throne room of our hearts with doubt, defiance or unforgiveness. Internal peace, that peace of mind that accompanies a good night of rest and a productive day, is a result, not the cause. Paul adds:

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

philippians 4:4-7

Did you see what happens here. We rejoice. We are reasonable. We don’t worry. We pray. We thank God. Peace guards.

Today, rather than pursuing internal peace as a goal, pursue God. And let his peace rule.