You and your significant other have an amazing relationship.
Work is going great, you even might get that promotion you want.
You kids are getting all A's in every subject.
Your house is spotless and you wallet it full.
It's easy to feel at peace. And BAM all of a sudden are confronted with a huge conflict that you weren't expecting...
You get laid off of work.....you get in a fight with you closest friend...you get hurt and have to make an un-expected trip to the emergency room and wipe out your entire savings....or someone passes on....
We begin to feel like we are at war. We cry out in the midst of the battle, "I give up! I just was some peace!"
I can tell you, I have felt like screaming that a few times over the past few days. It's not worth it...I give up...give me some peace.
I was having a conversation with a friend of mine during my lunch break not too long ago and we got to talking about Christmas. I asked her what she wanted and she kinda chuckled and replied, "Peace."
To which I replied, "No, I mean something I can actually get you."
That conversation lingered in my head for a while.
I wanted to be able to get her whatever she requested, but 'peace'.... that's something I physically wasn't able to give her.
Days have passed and Christmas inches ever so closer.. Christmas music playing 24/7 on the radio, Hymns sung in church and passages from Luke posted in the form of pictures all over social media outlets. Seems like 'peace' was popping up everywhere!
My friend wasn't the only one requesting peace this holiday season.
Everyone stating all I want for Christmas this year is, "Peace on earth and good will to men"
Hymns, scripture, and other songs all referred to 'peace on earth'
Now I could be wrong in the next thing I'm about to say, but what struck me after spending a little time pondering this was that 'peace on earth' is always brought up around Christmas time....the time when Jesus, came to earth.
So maybe it isn't talking about literal peace as in nations ceasing wars and there never being any more conflicts arise. Maybe it was simply annoucing the birth of Peace (Jesus) on earth.
After all He is called the "Prince of Peace" so it makes since.
See, Jesus has come to give the believers peace. Will life be perfect all the time? No. Will we still have conflict and trials? Yes. But in the midst of the trails and conflict we can have a peace even though we may not be able to understand it.
Philippians 4:7
"And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
I love the way "Echoing Angles" stated it in their song "Give You Peace"
They said:
"He will give you peace, when the walls come crashing down.
He will give you peace through the night
When you've had all you can take
Can't face another day
He will give you peace
He'll give you peace"
Another funny thing I came accross was this definition of peace:
" a state of harmony characterized by the lack of violent conflict and the freedom from fear of violence."
The phrase "freedom from fear" stands out in that to me. It tells me that there may still be some violence (trails, conflict, etc.), but if I have peace then I don't have to FEAR it.
And what is the opposite of fear? faith. So if you have faith then you won't have fear, and if you don't have fear then you can have peace.
Wow! Even in the darkest days. Even when we don't understand why certain things are happening. Even when people are doing things we don't agree with. Even when our life seems to be going the opposite way than the way we would like it to go...We can still have faith. We can still have peace. Because God is the author of peace and He wants to give it to those who believe in His name.
So this holiday season (CHRISTmas Season)
Remember that true peace is nothing you can find in human offerings.
True peace is not something you can find in circumstances.
And true peace isn't something that only exists in December.
True peace is a gift from Gos that we can claim on a daily basis.
In any situation. In any stage of life.
Have Faith. Have Peace.
No God, No Peace. Know God, Know Peace
Dear God, Please send to me the spirit of Your peace.
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