one body, one peace

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

This call to experience peace in Christ comes on the heels of commands to forgive one another in love. For the Body of Christ to know the peace of Christ, it must practice and live in the forgiveness of Christ, loving like Jesus loves. And this is an effort well worth doing.

My flesh needs attention… craves recognition… wants the credit. And that means my prideful ego gets in the way of true unity. But Jesus calls believers to serve one another in love, with humility. It means my pride has no business in the building up of the Body of Christ. I should not compare myself with others. We are one, not many individuals who get to choose what we personally want. If we are one body, we submit to Jesus. We love Him and one another. We work out our differences with repentance, forgiveness, grace, and mutual faith. I can’t let my pride mar this beauty Jesus is making in His Church!

And when I take that “demotion”, I find true peace. What’s more, I see what Christ is really doing in blending many people, talents, backgrounds, skills, and gifts together so that the sum of His Church is vastly greater than just my small part. And that leads to grateful thanksgiving. That sum of all Christ does ministers uniquely, personally, and powerfully to me. I NEED the gifts of the Body of Christ to minister to me, correct me, challenge me, encourage me, receive from me, and mature me to live more like Jesus. All Christians need to know the peace of Christ in their hearts as they submit to Christ’s design for His Church.

Lord,

You are doing a great work in Your Church. Use me as I submit to my place in Your Body. Help me in grace to embody love, forgiveness, and appreciation for other Christians. And let us together know this peace and thankfulness as You use us to bless our world with the gospel!

Amen