The Prince of Peace
Over the past few weeks, you may have been making many preparations for celebrating Christmas--decorating the house, buying gifts, sending cards, baking and cooking. It's easy to see why Christmas is one of our favorite times of the year. There's nothing like the joy that comes by sharing our love and what we have with family and friends in our own special ways.
But the season can also be a time of stress and worry and disappointments for many reasons. One of the biggest challenges we all face is keeping our peace and getting along when somebody doesn't agree with us, when they do or say something we don't like. It's easy to get in conflict with them--to argue, to try to straighten them out, to prove our point. Before long, there's stress and tension in the home.
I want to encourage you to remember that the true Christmas spirit is wrapped up in these words from the prophet Isaiah: "For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." God reminds us of the most wonderful gift that has ever been given is this gift of Jesus. The babe in the manger. The Savior of the world, who brought the promise of unconditional love, unending hope, and eternal life to every person who believes in Him.
Jesus is our Prince of Peace. He doesn't just have peace; He is peace. He gives us peace that passes understanding, peace that never changes, peace that can never be taken away. That means we can have peace when things around us aren't peaceful, even in the midst of offenses and disagreements. We aren't moved by what others are saying or doing or situations that aren't working out like we want, because the peace inside us doesn't rise and fall with our circumstances.
Don't allow the frustrations and worries and stresses you're feeling to steal your peace in this season. Anytime you find that you don't have peace inside about something, that's a sign you should stop and give the Prince of Peace your problems and cares. Let His peace lead and guide you. When God gives you peace, nothing in the world can move you. Choose to walk and live in His perfect peace every day of your life.
We hope you are as excited as we are about sharing the gift of Jesus with others this Christmas holiday and every day of the year. This is what Christmas is all about.
But the season can also be a time of stress and worry and disappointments for many reasons. One of the biggest challenges we all face is keeping our peace and getting along when somebody doesn't agree with us, when they do or say something we don't like. It's easy to get in conflict with them--to argue, to try to straighten them out, to prove our point. Before long, there's stress and tension in the home.
I want to encourage you to remember that the true Christmas spirit is wrapped up in these words from the prophet Isaiah: "For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." God reminds us of the most wonderful gift that has ever been given is this gift of Jesus. The babe in the manger. The Savior of the world, who brought the promise of unconditional love, unending hope, and eternal life to every person who believes in Him.
Jesus is our Prince of Peace. He doesn't just have peace; He is peace. He gives us peace that passes understanding, peace that never changes, peace that can never be taken away. That means we can have peace when things around us aren't peaceful, even in the midst of offenses and disagreements. We aren't moved by what others are saying or doing or situations that aren't working out like we want, because the peace inside us doesn't rise and fall with our circumstances.
Don't allow the frustrations and worries and stresses you're feeling to steal your peace in this season. Anytime you find that you don't have peace inside about something, that's a sign you should stop and give the Prince of Peace your problems and cares. Let His peace lead and guide you. When God gives you peace, nothing in the world can move you. Choose to walk and live in His perfect peace every day of your life.
We hope you are as excited as we are about sharing the gift of Jesus with others this Christmas holiday and every day of the year. This is what Christmas is all about.