The Ruler of my Heart 

Guest Blog by: Bruce Nevin Haines 

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 richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father. (Colossians 3:15-17) 

Joy and peace are stolen from me to some degree, every day. Emotions of anxiety, hurt, betrayal, and insignificance, take up the space where peace and joy should live. My method of Overcoming has been to ignore them and view them as a passing storm. Moments of peace and joy do come, but they are interrupted by circumstances that I let take control and dictate what I feel. Circumstances and relationships, both past and present, divert my attention…and I let that happen. 

Viewing them as a passing storm may be a good first step but I need to follow through. I need to immediately fill the empty space with God’s Word, His promises, and His comfort. For God’s peace to rule in my heart, His Word must be present. It is a declaration of who the Ruler of My Heart should be. The word, RULE, in the above Scripture, means, referee, or umpire. Here is a quote from the book, Sparkling Gems from the Greek, by Rick Renner. 

“The Peace of God can work as an umpire or referee in our hearts, minds, and emotions.” 

Help me, Lord, to let go of the hurt, anxiety, and weariness, so that I can fill the space with the peace that is woven into Your promises. In this way, all other emotions are held in check by Your peace and will not rule my heart. That authority I yield to You.