Batter Up! Recognizing Peace at the Plate

In the previous blog, we looked at how you and I can learn to hear God and test what we receive. High on the list of how to discern such things is to ask ourselves, “Does this pass the Shalom Test?”

“And let the Peace of God rule in your hearts, to which you were called in one body; and be thankful.”  The literal translation for the word rule is “to umpire.” Just as a baseball umpire determines when a ball is in play, God’s spirit will let us know if we are operating in His Peace. If we are connecting with God and feel peaceful, then game on! However, if we have no peace, we can be sure it is a foul ball—odds are we are out of the boundaries set by God.

It stands to figure that if we hope to get better at recognizing God’s Peace, you and I need to practice living and dwelling in a lifestyle of Shalom. Counterfeits for Peace include a sense of relief, alleviation of crisis, avoidance, and more. Practice trains us to recognize God’s Peace so we can experience a winning “game day” when the opportunity arises.

Those who get an “at bat” do better by drilling with the jugs machine. This apparatus throws pitches over and over to help players develop body strength and the form necessary to hit one out of the park. So next time you’re up, remember the words of John 14:27, “Peace I leave with you, My Peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” Jesus gives us His Peace if we ask for his presence and guidance in our life decisions and relationships. As we follow His coaching, we learn the real meaning of Ephesians 4:1-3, “to walk worthy of the calling with which (we) were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”

My next blog explores how to recognize characteristics of godly wisdom in what you hear.