Should I take this job? Should I move to this city? Should I marry this person? Should I join this church? Should I start a family?
Our lives are shaped by the decisions we make. Make good decisions, and you’ll have a good life.
But how do we make good decisions?
A wise man once said, “Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise” (Prov. 13:20).
And a spiritual man once said, “Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit” (Gal. 5:25).
The Holy Spirit is the wisest Guide of all (see John 16:13). The Spirit can lead us in many ways (as I discuss in my ebook Spirit Soul & Body: How to Walk in the Spirit). One of the ways he leads is by giving us an affirming sense of peace:
Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts. (Colossians 3:15)
The original verb, which is translated here as “rule” (brabeuō), means “umpire.” In the sporting arena, it is the umpire who decides. In the same way, it is the peace of Christ that helps us settle matters and make decisions.
The umpire of peace
We are not to be governed by anger, strife, fear, or worry. We are to be ruled or umpired by the peace of Christ.
When making an important decision, your heart should be filled with his peace. His peace protects you from heartbreak and disaster (Php. 4:7). If you lack his peace, do not act. Re-center your heart. Cast your cares and anxieties upon the Lord and receive his peace (1 Pet. 5:7).
Sometimes we make decisions based on our own understanding and the result is disaster. Our decisions are flawed because we are working with incomplete data. Only the Lord knows what tomorrow will bring. And this is why we need to trust him, even against our own judgment.
An example: Say you are offered something that seems good on the surface, but inside you are troubled and agitated. You need to pause and pay attention. Your spirit is sensing that something is amiss. You would do well to heed it.
Maybe you are considering a job applicant who ticks all the boxes, or you have been offered a generous relocation package, but your spirit is troubled. Stop and pray. Ask the Lord to give you wisdom before you make the next step.
Now when I came to Troas for the gospel of Christ and when a door was opened for me in the Lord, I had no rest for my spirit, not finding Titus my brother; but taking my leave of them, I went on to Macedonia. (2 Corinthians 2:12–13)
When Paul said, “I had no rest for my spirit” (2 Cor. 2:13), he was saying he had no peace. For the spirit-filled believer, a loss of peace is a sign that all is not well.
This is a lesson I learned the hard way.
When you don’t listen
Years ago, when we lived in Hong Kong, I convinced Camilla that I needed to buy a Honda Shadow 750 motorcycle. “We’ll go cruising down the highway,” I said. “It’ll be fun.”
Camilla has ridden with me many times, but on this occasion, she was unsettled. “I don’t have a peace about it.”
She was troubled inside, but I dismissed her concerns. “You’re being a wet blanket.” I bought the motorbike.
A week later, we were cruising down the highway when we got caught between two boy racers going 100 miles an hour. By the grace of God, we survived a horrendous crash, but it was weeks before either of us could walk again.
I should’ve listened to my wife.
Learning to heed that internal umpire – the peace of Christ – is one of the smartest things you will ever do. The peace of Christ will protect you from danger and lead you in the path of life.
Provided you listen, of course.
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In his letter to the Colossians, Paul wrote about the peace of Christ and those things that can distract us from it. If you would like to dive deeper, check out my new verse-by-verse commentary, The Grace Bible: Philippians, Colossians & Philemon.
