This month we’re studying Colossians 3:1-17 in a series called Renewed: Putting on the New Self. Today we’re looking at verses 14 and 15, with hearts bound with love and ruled by peace.
On Tuesday, Cheli talked about what God calls us to “put on” as we adorn ourselves in Christ’s character. After addressing compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, patience, and forgiveness, verse 14 now tells us to put love on over, covering, all of the rest.
“And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.” Colossians 3:14
Agape love is described here as the bond that joins everything together into mature perfection, producing harmony.
Mmmmmm, Chili
It may be the little drop in temperature that’s finally hit Houston, or simply that I’m hungry, but this verse leaves me thinking, “just like a bowl of good chili.” Chili is one of those dishes that takes on more flavor the longer it cooks and is even better served the second day. It needs time to really meld flavors from various ingredients (yes, even the pulsed vegetables I hide in there) into one tomato-and-chili-powder-infused bowl of goodness.
Like a good bowl of chili, love is comprised of a multitude of elements that can exist apart from it but don’t have the same harmony of flavor until they are unified in love. In seeking the best for another, agape love adds a new overtone to each virtue such that they work harmoniously together.
1 Corinthians 13:1-3 tells us that without love, other virtues holds no value, and verses 4-7 expound on the many facets of love:
Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. (1 Corinthians 13:4-7)
With patience, kindness, humility, grace, and hope melded together in love, the body of Christ is brought into mature unity and harmony.
Ruled by Peace
Next, we are to add in peace, which holds power to direct our hearts and our ways.
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)
What does it look like to be ruled by peace? It is following Jesus with the deep assurance that nothing lost compares to that gained by following Him. It is resting in God’s grace, no longer striving to keep up appearances of perfection or legalism. It is trusting God’s justice to prevail when present injustice stings. What does a heart ruled by peace mean to you?
And Be Thankful
The word for “thankful” here connotes a mindfulness of the grace extended to us by God. It is more than thankful for the things we are given; it’s an awareness of what has been bestowed on us, leaving us both humble and content.
Love, Peace, and Gratitude… but How?
I am amazed to see what is packed into these two little verses: Put on love. Be ruled by peace. By contentedly thankful. Wow. That can certainly transform our home. But how? We’re certainly trying.
Here, we look not to the next verse but back to the introduction. Colossians 1:1-2 tell us to seek and set our hearts on that which is above — heavenly, eternal. Our hearts grow in love, peace, and gratitude when our eyes lift from our present circumstances up to worship our Lord and delight in the things of God.
Before taking on the rest of the day, let’s take a moment to fix our eyes on Jesus. Great Is Thy Faithfulness is one of my favorite hymns for focusing my heart.
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