A common response to decision-making, according to many religious pastors and authors is to pay close attention to what you are hearing and sensing. The idea is that if you are sensing a green light, you’re at peace with it. If we are at peace with moving forward and sense His leading after much prayer, then move forward with it, even if you do not like what you are obligated to do.
Do you want Scripture? Here it goes: Phillipians 4:7 speaks of the peace of God that passes all understanding.” For most, the text that supports their view is Colossians 3:15. It reads, “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.” Some take this to mean that when peace reigns, “God’s voice is accompanied by deep assurance and permission” (Shirer, Discerning the Voice of God, 10). A reigning sense of God’s peace confirms God’s voice. Joyce Meyer explains that Ïnner peace is the single greatest evidence The answer is that I had peace about what I was receiving. It felt right inside me. My spirit confirmed it as being truly from the Lord” (Meyer, How to hear from God, 23). For her, peace within is the true confirmation that you are hearing from God (Meyer, 84).
Paul speaks of having died with Christ (Colossians 2:20) and been raised up with Him (Col. 3:1), we’ve been freed from sin (3:5). The next verses discuss the implications of these facts. The members of our earthly body are considered to be dead to sin, having put them aside and put on the new self that is conformed to Christ (3:8-10). As a result, the body enjoys a fellowship with God and one another in which there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or freeman. “Christ is all, and in all” (3:11).
Then, in verses 12-17, Paul instructs them to put on the godly qualities of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, forgiveness, and love in order to be united with each other as verses 3:12-13 introduce. You will notice the phrase “one another” and “each other” as Paul lists these to describe their treatment of one another. Verse fourteen indicates that this treatment will produce “the perfect bond of unity.” T
Verse fifteen comes next and the verses that follow it describe the relationship within the body. Being filled with the Spirit (see 1 Corinthians 14 for a discussion of spiritual gifts), they are filled with the Word of God and thus, teach and admonish one another with Psalms and hymns and spiritual songs… (3:16). He deals with the husband and wife relationship, parent/child relationship, and master/slave relationship.
Nowhere in this entire text does Paul discuss decision-making or confirming impressions that God is placing on our hearts. Paul teaches saints to look toward the need of others, focusing our attention not on our feelings and interests, but on the spiritual needs of the body. The peace that rules is a product of the treatment we give to each other (cf. Eph. 2:14-15). Verse fifteen is just captured from the text and abused by self-serving false teachers to promote their lies. Tying this passage to Phillipians 4:7 is intended to show that this peace is an inner peace of tranquility. Do you not see that the peace fits the use of the word in Ephesians 2:14-15 in the context of social, ethnic, and gender differences rather than inner peace? The entire context deals with the treatment of one another in the body with all our differences. If that peace ruled their lives, the body could function for the well-being of all. Paul is not talking about looking for a green light to confirm God’s voice.
Once again, this is a mishandling of the Word of God over which Paul implies one should be ashamed (2 Tim. 2:15). My plea is that we open our hearts or minds in our diligent work to be approved of God.