I'll be the first to agree that the deep meaning of the Christmas story has been overrun by plastic reindeer, sappy movies, frozen fruitcakes, cheesy Santas, multi-million dollar buying orgies and more! It's sad, especially considering the lowly circumstances surrounding the birth of Jesus. The whole season can be overwhelming, if we are not careful; a time filled with economic pressures, relational tensions, spiritual confusion, and so much more.
Let me be the first in line for a movement of simplifying and dialing down the consumer-centric Christmas season (along with the rest of life, while we're at it).
With this in mind, I begin a short series on Random Christmas Thoughts; things I think about this time of year and how they relate to family, faith, and (most importantly) the Christlike life of overflowing Christlike love. After all, the whole point of the Christ-mass is to remind us of the who, what, when, where, why, and how of Christ’s arrival in this world. If our observation of Christmas does not lead us to become increasingly Christlike, overflowing with Christlike love, then we might be doing it wrong.
So, today I start with Random Thought #1 —
The Prince of Peace has commissioned us as Peace Makers
A child is born to us, a son is given to us,
and authority will be on his shoulders.
He will be named
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.—Isaiah 9:6
Because of our God’s deep compassion,
the dawn from heaven will break upon us,
to give light to those who are sitting in darkness
and in the shadow of death,
to guide us on the path of peace.”—Luke 1:78-79
“Glory to God in heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors.”
—Luke 2:14
We are called to be peacemakers…not troublemakers. 🙂
We are called to be bridge builders…not bridge burners.
I’ve used these words with my children more times than I can remember.
We worship the Prince of Peace.
We follow Christ on the path of peace.
Our purpose is to carry reconciliation and peace here on earth.
Questions to think about:
Do my thoughts, words, and actions promote peace among my friends, family, and neighbors?
Is there any part of my life that is not at peace with God or neighbor?
Ask God to bring you peace in your life, and for your life to be a source of peace to the people with whom you interact — face-to-face, online, or otherwise.
Please share your thoughts in the comments. Like and share this post with others. Post this on your social media, forward it by email, or share it in other ways.
Thank you for your very timely reminder. My wife and I are spending the day on a Christmas shopping couple’s date. May God help me to be ever mindful to walk a path of peace during our busy shopping day. (BTW— This was EXACTLY what I preached on Sunday (https://trnaz.sermon.net/21900897).)
Thanks, Bob. May you see the opportunities in front of you today!