Today is Opening Day of the 2023 Major League Baseball season.   

When we think of baseball, our minds generally center around the teams and players. But if you stop and think about it, baseball games couldn’t happen without umpires. Because without umpires, baseball really wouldn’t be a game at all. It would be controlled chaos, like a youthful game of backyard wiffleball. 

Umpires enforce the rules. Having complete authority on the field, umpires ensure a game functions within prescribed boundaries. 

According to the Apostle Paul, our hearts also have umpires.  

The word for “rule” in Colossians 3:15 literally means, ‘to act as an umpire.’  In Paul’s day, the word referred to the judge or arbitrator of an athletic contest who awarded the prize to the winner. 

Paul challenges us to let the “peace of Christ” act as our inner umpire, having authority over the field of our hearts. You see, our hearts are the very core of who we are. And whatever controls our hearts ultimately controls us.  

Here’s the deal: Right now, something is ruling your heart. Something is functioning like an umpire on the inside of you. Ask yourself, ”Is that ‘something’ really ruling with the peace of Christ?” 

Remember…Jesus died and rose again to give us “peace with God” (Romans 5:1), peace within (Philippians 4:7), and peace with our fellow man (Ephesians 2:14-16).  

Does His peace reign supreme in your heart, spilling over into your interactions with others?

If we’re honest, wouldn’t we admit that other things often replace the peace that Jesus provides? 

For example:

Anger rules our hearts.

Disappointment rules our hearts.

Comparison rules our hearts.

What word(s) would you write in that blank?

It’s important to realize that whatever we allow to umpire our hearts also has profound implications on our relationships. For instance, ever been around someone who’s ruled by bitterness? How about jealousy? Not much fun, is it? 

What’s ruling us on the inside is blatantly obvious to everyone around us.  

This is why Paul makes the connection to “members of the body” (verse 15). When the peace of Christ is ruling individual hearts, churches flourish. Relationships flourish.  

This doesn’t mean people never get upset with one another. However, when a conflict arises, Christians are called to let the peace of Christ play umpire, giving Him the final decision on how they resolve the issue.  

All of this may sound too good to be true, like a pie-in-the-sky pipe dream. But it’s not. It really is attainable. 

Be assured, however, change won’t happen without intentional effort. We have to fight for His peace to rule our hearts. We have to make the repeated, ongoing choice to yield to the authority of the peace of Christ in every situation.  

So, the next time you start to experience inner turmoil…the next time someone in your family, office, or church rubs you the wrong way, take a deep breath and remember the peace Jesus died to provide.        

For His glory…in your best umpire voice…tell the anger, frustration, worry, etc., living inside you, “You’re out!” 

And let the peace of Christ rule in your heart once again.

Written by Jonathan Munson, Executive Director, RFTH