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Dec 19, 2020 08:00am

Peace: Lessons From the Third Week of Advent

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If you’re on social media, I bet you identify with being constantly bombarded by debates and arguments like these…

Is it acceptable to listen to Christmas music before Thanksgiving?
Which is better—a real or an artificial Christmas tree?
Is Die Hard a Christmas movie?

And that’s just mentioning three of the tame, Christmas-themed debates I saw in my Facebook feed this week!

Do you get tired of all the arguing?

Do you ever long for peace in your life (and in your Facebook feed)?

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As we near Christmas—the day we celebrate the birth of Christ, we reflect on who He is, what He has done, and what He will do.

Around 750 years before Christ’s birth, the prophet Isaiah described the coming Messiah this way:

For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And He will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. His government and its peace will never end (Isaiah 9:6-7).

The angels announced this to the shepherds the night of Christ’s birth:

Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased (Luke 2:14).

Paul, a first-century church planter and writer of a significant portion of the New Testament said this about Jesus’ peace:

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and be thankful for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7)

As we begin to anticipate the day we celebrate Christ’s birth at the end of the year, may we let the peace Jesus promised rule in our hearts.

There is so much to be concerned about in our lives: our families, our world—not to mention the chaos on Facebook.

But Jesus said this:

I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid. Remember what I told you: I am going away, but I will come back to you again (John 14:27-28).

We not only experience peace because the Holy Spirit lives in us, we have peace because we know that Christ will return one day and will bring universal peace to everyone, everywhere.

In this season that can be so stressful, may we rest in the stillness and peace that Christ offers to us if we only stop long enough to seek him.