Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men! Luke 2:14 Sometime around the lst of December, we all start getting in the Christmas spirit, we see festive commercials, hear festive music everywhere we go, lights all around our neighborhoods...it just gets us in that mood. Then....things begin to happen in our country and other countries that are unexplainable to us and sit back and say...what in the world is going on...where is the peace? People are hurting each other everywhere we turn… Whether it’s a gunman in Sydney Australia holding 17 people hostage, or a school in Pakistan where innocent children are slaughtered, or 2 police officers assasinated, or the house down the street where a woman is beaten, or the silent crimes that we hear nothing about – people whose situations don’t make it to the news, they don’t get streamed on the internet, suffering alone and in silence....where is the peace? By the time Jesus was born, the Jewish people had been to what they felt like hell and back several times over since the beginning. They knew what it was to be captive, oppressed… brutalized. They were waiting for a savior who would bring peace… Isaiah prophesied “He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace…” Can we blame them for seeking circumstantial peace? We do it all the time… “If only my circumstances changed… if my bank account was full, if I got the right job… if I hadn’t suffered this or that, then I would have…” where is the peace? Ps 46:10 says, “Be still and know that I am God…” Col 3:15 says, “And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts…” Phil 4:7 says, “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus…” Peace doesn’t begin in the physical… it’s not based in the circumstantial. It’s transcendent… a stillness of heart, a knowing… A gift from God. It’s the fragrance of His presence, an awareness of His heart for humanity. In the midst of turmoil, bad economies, illness, tragedy, heartache, the uncomfortable, the unfair, the downright evil that happens all around us, Jesus is the only real peace will have in our hearts. When everything around us is out of control, He settles the churning within. We can open our eyes and gaze upon the same world facing the same struggles with new hope…hope in Jesus Christ. When we have peace within us, we can live from a place of love, living our lives from the inside out. Col 3:13-14 says “Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you… clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. Peace engages compassion and compassion calls for action. As we head into this season where the phrase “Peace on earth, goodwill towards men” gets passed around like Christmas candy, still yourself and allow Jesus to bring his transcendent peace to your life, permeating you with healing and wholeness… Look out into the world near and far, not with hopeless eyes or defeat, but with peace and compassion… and then get amongst it and spread that stuff around like snow flakes and confetti… Be the peace with yourself first and foremost. There are people around us we can help. Dont drink that can of pop for a week and use that money to and buy someone a box of nuts, a bag of hershey kisses, gifts dont have to be big, its the love behind them. Bake someone a cake, a pie, make them a container of candy, cookies. There are plenty of things that we can do to be a peaceful society and get along with those around us. Remember....JESUS IS THE REASON FOR THE SEASON....MERRY CHRISTMAS!
Posted on: Mon, 22 Dec 2014 14:11:23 +0000
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