They're the most colorful part of any baseball game as they howl, "Strike!" Or "Safe!" I'm talking about umpires, of course. And if you've ever watched a game, you've heard the bark of their bluster over the roar of the crowd: “You’re out!” Umpires understand their call must be clear and confident.
Now, you might not be much of a baseball fan. It could be the slow pace. Or the spitting. Or…(I’ll leave it at that). But the fact remains, Scripture calls you to be an umpire, of sorts.
Colossians 3:15 urges us,
“Let the peace of Christ, to which you were indeed called in one body, rule in your hearts; and be thankful.”
That word, rule, is better translated as "umpire."
In Paul’s day, the culture was full of sports events. Just like today, those games required umpires. No video replay back then. No automated ball-strike challenge system.
So, they had umpires to preside over their games:
- Was his foot over the line?
- Which runner came in first place?
It turns out that the Greek word for our word, "rule," means to act as an umpire, making the call in a conflict between contending forces. To umpire means to direct, control, rule, arbitrate, govern, prevail."
But the arena here is not a stadium. It’s our hearts. Because that’s where the real wars are fought, right? We often act as if we're powerless over our feelings and emotions. We're not! When it comes to having—or not having—the peace of Christ, YOU are the umpire!
Consider—the essential job of an umpire is to declare:
- What's in, what's out.
- What's safe, what's not.
That's precisely what we're supposed to do with every thought that enters our mind, "taking captive every thought," as Paul put it.
We can’t control our circumstances, but we must control our thoughts. Because if peace does not rule our hearts, then doubt, fear, and anxiety will.
Our thoughts must be stopped, frisked, X-rayed, judged—and when necessary—thrown out. Because if we do not say no to sinful thoughts—“You’re out!”—we are really saying, “You’re safe. You’re okay.” And peace is gone.
Maintaining peace is an all-day, every-day pursuit. And it starts when we step up to umpire our thoughts.
