1224) There are at least two jobs I would never choose to have. One is being a school bus driver and the other, an umpire. I don’t know how school bus drivers do it. I would either lose my mind or go to jail. Umpires fall close to these same feelings and reactions.

Have you ever considered the specific purpose of an umpire? Not only do they pronounce “judgment” on whether balls pitched are strikes and if a hit is a foul, they do something else. The most important purpose of an umpire, in my opinion, is to mediate between two teams, usually in times of turmoil. Though the umpire’s job is important, I still do not envy them; it is a hard and often thankless job.

In Colossians 3:15, Paul admonishes us to let the peace of Christ rule your heart. The Greek word for rule here can be translated as umpire. Why would Paul tell us to let Jesus’ peace umpire our hearts? I can’t speak for you but, for me, I am always at war within. If it’s not over making choices, it’s often because I feel I have let God, myself and\or others down. I am often my own worst enemy and God knows many of us are.

With the umpire of Christ’s love and forgiveness, the battle between self-contempt (or even others’) can be covered in peace. Why? Because God has forgiven us and will not remember the “wrong” ever again when we’ve made things right with him.

Jesus is the umpire of peace. Dare to sit back, by faith, and absorb it into your life. Doesn’t peace sound good?