There was not any lasting damage.  My arm was swollen and stayed bruised for a couple of weeks.  The dog was as surprised as I was.  My father-in-law worried about whether the dog should have gotten shots.  Ha, ha.  The neighbors were apologetic.  The yard got cleaned up, and we all stayed several feet away from the fence.

And I thought about how much like life this was.

We all know there are dangerous things in this world.  There is war, crime, and evil.  People steal, lie, gossip, and murder in our world.  We just do not expect it to happen to us.  Until it does.  Tornados, fires, hurricanes, and tsunamis occur around the globe.  We assume those things happen to other people, not us.  Until it does.  We even know intellectually that people get sick, sometimes even sick enough that they die.  We just do not think it will happen to us.  Until it does.

Hard things, bad things, tough things happen.  They happen unexpectedly.  Sometime it is our fault.  Sometimes it is someone else’s fault.  Sometimes it is no one’s fault.  Life happens.  Life goes on.  So how do we cope?  How do we survive?  How do we find hope, peace, joy, and purpose in a world like this?

I have found the answer in God, and so have millions of others throughout the ages.  He will get me through anything this life throws at me.  He has, and He will.  He gives my life hope, peace, joy, and purpose.  And He gives me life forever.  He has done this through His Son Jesus. 

Blessings,

steve

In a general sense, peace is the absence of conflict.

On a personal level, it can mean many things…

• Peace can be paying off this month’s credit card bill.
• Peace can be finishing that report for work.
• Peace can be arriving home after fighting rush hour traffic.
• Peace can be not fighting with your spouse for at least one night.
• Peace can be not hearing gunfire when you turn off the lights.

When Jewish people greet one another, they say “shalom.” Peace. In Arabic, the greeting is “salam,” with the same meaning. In the New Testament, the apostle Paul frequently used the phrase “grace and peace” when beginning his letters. Peace is something that we desire for ourselves and should desire for others.

What about peace with God? For some, that’s a distant concept. Maybe we’ve never really tried to establish a relationship with God. Or we’ve tried, but have never felt like we were quite good enough.

Some of us used to feel good about our standing with God, but now we’re filled with doubt. We don’t have the feeling we used to have. Maybe sin has gotten in the way, the big kind of sin that leaves us feeling guilty for years. Or maybe it’s just a general disenchantment with God, being disappointed by Him time and again. Or it could just be that we’ve grown a bit cold, not turning our backs on God, but just drifting away from Him.

All of those things can steal our peace. To overcome those kinds of feelings, we need to take the focus off of ourselves. We need to recognize that we aren’t trying to earn our salvation. We’re not trying to be “good enough” for God. We need to focus on Jesus Christ and what He has done to make us “good enough.”

Paul wrote to the Roman Christians: “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:1). Peace with God comes through trusting in Jesus, trusting in His love and His care for us. When our faith led us to submit to Jesus in baptism, we entered into a relationship with Him that will provide us with the peace that only God can give. It’s not about us… it’s about Jesus and what He did for us.

If you don’t feel at peace with God, you are probably still focused on yourself. You may even be trying to make yourself good enough for God. It’s time to trust in Jesus and His power to save. Only He can put you at peace with God.

For some, it’s a time of giving and getting, a time to spend more money than should be spent to buy things that nobody really needs. For others, it’s a time of quiet religious reflection.

For some, Christmas is a special, family time, sharing precious hours with those that we care about. For others, it’s a time of loneliness and hurt.

For some, Christmas is a deeply significant time to remember the birth of Jesus and reflect on the meaning of his coming to earth. For others, it is merely another day, sharing space in the holiday season with Hanukkah and Kwanzaa and New Year’s Day.

For some, Christmas is a desperately needed time to sell goods and make one last bit of profit in a difficult year. For others, it’s a time to protest the religious misconceptions that abound in this celebration.

With sentiments like these vying with one another for the place of prominence in our thinking, it’s easy for us to feel more than a bit overwhelmed. If you’re feeling swept away, let me offer some ancient words of wisdom:

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you (Philippians 4:6-9).

In the maelstrom of emotion during this holiday season, let God surround you with his peace. Cast all of your worries on him and focus on the things that will truly bring you peace.

May there be peace on earth during these coming days and months, and may there be peace in your life.