When Paul says in Colossians 3:15, “And let the peace of God rule in your hearts…” he is painting a picture we sometimes forget. That word rule means “to act like an umpire,” to make the call, to decide what gets safe passage into your soul and what gets tossed out before it steals your joy.
Now, I do not know about you, but life has tossed me a few curveballs that felt like they were aimed right at my ribs. Worries, interruptions, unexpected news, and those moments when your heart feels like a storm is blowing across it. But then I step out on that porch, take a slow breath, and remember… God never told me to create peace. He told me to let His peace rule.
Let it call the shots.
Let it calm the noise.
Let it settle the dust.
Let it have the final say.
Peace is not the absence of problems; it is the presence of Jesus standing right in the middle of them, saying, “I’ve got this. You just stay close.”
And friend, when His peace rules, gratitude rises. Not because everything is perfect, but because you remember Who holds you together. That is why Paul continues, “And be ye thankful.” Peace and gratitude always walk hand in hand across the front porch of a believing heart.
So today, when life tries to rush you, rattle you, or rob you, pause… breathe… and let His peace make the call. Let it rule your heart. Let it steady your steps. And let it remind you that God’s love is not shaken by anything that shakes you.
You were created for a calmer, quieter, more anchored life than the world believes is possible and it starts by letting the peace of God rule.
Friend, pull up a rocking chair for a minute because this one matters. Gossip is one of those quiet storms that does not always start with thunder, but it sure can tear a church family apart if we do not guard our hearts and our tongues.
I have to admit something. Sometimes when I am out in public, sitting at a restaurant with my coffee and my thoughts, I cannot help but hear the conversations happening in the booth beside me. The other day I overheard what I am sure were well intentioned church members from a nearby congregation. They were talking about things under the excuse of concern, but the more I listened, the clearer it became. It was not concern. It was gossip.
Scripture defines gossip clearly. Proverbs 16:28 says, “A froward man soweth strife and a whisperer separateth chief friends.” The Bible does not treat gossip like a minor issue. It treats it like a spiritual wedge that drives people apart.
A simple definition of gossip is this: Talking about people instead of talking to people. Sharing information that is not yours to share. Passing along something that can harm someone, even if you dress it up as concern or a prayer request.
Here is the danger. Most gossip does not come from mean spirited people. It often comes from folks who genuinely think they are helping. But good intentions do not protect us from bad consequences.
Why Gossip Is Such a Problem
On the porch of God’s Word, gossip breaks fellowship long before anyone realizes what happened.
• Gossip adds information but removes love.
• Gossip talks about people instead of to them.
• Gossip wounds the body of Christ, causing the whole church to limp.
• Gossip replaces truth with speculation and assumes the worst instead of believing the best.
• Gossip turns someone’s struggle into someone else’s story.
Why Well Intentioned People Get Caught in It
This is where it gets tricky. Some of the sweetest folks can be pulled into gossip without ever noticing it.
• They confuse concern with conversation.
• They want to be helpful but avoid the hard work of going directly to the person involved.
• They think passing information is the same as passing wisdom.
• They believe that talking about a problem will somehow fix it, when in reality it only exposes it.
Those dear folks at the restaurant did not wake up that morning intending to hurt their church. But every word they whispered carried weight, and none of it built anyone up.
How Gossip Hurts the Church
A church does not usually fall apart because of big scandals.
More often it crumbles because of small conversations.
• Trust gets thin.
• Spirits get heavy.
• Unity gets fragile.
• The mission gets blurry.
• And the name of Jesus gets overshadowed by unnecessary drama.
Gossip is spiritual termites. It chews through the beams of fellowship until the whole porch starts to sag.
A Better Way, The Jesus Way
When you love someone, you talk to them, not about them.
When you care about the church, you protect unity, guard hearts, and refuse to let your tongue become a weapon the enemy can use.
Jesus gave us a simple pattern.
Go to your brother.
Go with humility.
Go with the hope of restoration.
Not to expose, but to heal.
Not to embarrass, but to embrace.
Before we speak, ask three simple questions:
1. Is it true? 2. Is it necessary? 3. Is it loving?
If it fails even one of those tests, it does not belong on your lips.
The body of Christ is too precious, too fragile, and too important to let careless conversations undo what the Holy Spirit is trying to build. Let’s be people who do not spread gossip. We smother it. We silence it. We step on it before it steps on someone else.
Let’s be builders of peace, protectors of unity, and encouragers of grace.
“And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.”
There is a holy moment in the Christmas story where heaven cannot hold itself back any longer. One angel starts the announcement, but before the echo fades, the sky bursts open with a multitude of the heavenly host. It is as if all of heaven leaned over the balcony and said, “We have to praise Him. We have to celebrate this. We have to tell the world what this birth really means.”
Glory to God in the highest. Peace on earth. Good will toward men.
Those aren’t just pretty Christmas words. They are promises wrapped in swaddling clothes.
Glory to God in the highest means God is at work in the lowest places of your life. Peace on earth means peace in you, right in the middle of whatever storm is blowing through your front yard. And good will toward men means God’s heart toward you is kindness, mercy, and grace — not judgment, not distance, not disappointment.
When the shepherds heard that song, everything changed. The cold night felt warmer. The fear felt lighter. Hope broke through the darkness like a star over Bethlehem.
And friend, that same song still echoes over your life today. Heaven still celebrates the Savior who came for you. Heaven still speaks peace into your weary places. Heaven still announces God’s good will toward you, not because you earned it, but because Jesus brought it.
So take a deep breath. Sip that coffee. Look toward the sky with a shepherd’s wonder. The Savior has come, and because He has come, you can walk in peace, stand in hope, and rest in the good will of a God who loves you more than you’ll ever understand.
Michael Joe Harvell 