How About A Little Peace?

“Once in our world, a stable had something in it that was bigger than our whole world.” – C.S. Lewis.

“Peace on earth” is a phrase you will hear over and over during the Christmas season. For many people, peace is hard to find at Christmas or anytime  Sometimes we struggle to find peace with ourselves. We regret past mistakes, struggle with our present weaknesses, and worry about the future.  We struggle with the uncertainty of tomorrow and the turmoil going on in the world around us. World news brings few positive reports if any. We wonder if “peace on earth” is even a possibility.

Think about how much has changed from 1903 (Wright Brothers 120-foot flight) to 2021 (rover vehicle running on Mars). The world has seen an unbelievable amount of progress over every time horizon in those 118 years. Most people think things are so much better today. We are progressing, but even with the best of intentions, our human effort to be good and make this world a better place often falls short.

If you are looking for a solution for peace, then turn to Jesus Christ. God revealed himself to people through the person of Jesus. Jesus came to earth in a peaceful way as a baby in a humble circumstance of a manger and proceeded to live a humble life. Jesus came to restore our broken relationship with God so that we could first experience wholeness and peace with ourselves, and then extend it to others around us.

 “Peace on earth and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled,” is a line in Hark the Herald Angel Sing that gives a picture of Jesus as God’s gift of peace to us. Jesus demonstrated the kind of peace we all long for. He always treated people with respect, wisdom, and love. He brought peace to those around Him, and He ultimately wants to bring peace between you and God. If you want tranquility that is unending, you need to build a relationship with Jesus Christ. We, too, can enjoy the oneness that He and the Father experienced. When the Lord says, “My peace I give to you,” He is not referring to a loan. His peace is a free gift, available to every one of His children.

If we focus our attention on the Son of God, then He will give us perfect peace (Isaiah 26:3). That does not mean we are immune to sudden shocks or occasional times when we are thrown off balance by circumstances. But the power of the Lord’s prevailing peace is adequate to carry us through anything He allows us to experience.

Peace is a gift that we can receive and give to others. Creating inner peace means that we don’t allow the outside world to define the state of our inner being. We take time to breathe, regain our composure, and think clearly. We take a moment to pause and pace ourselves in a healthy way, not letting the pressure of others and the holiday dictate our lives.

Discussion Questions:

1. When you think of peace, what picture comes to mind? Where are you? What are you doing? What’s going on around you?
2. What are some things we need to do in order to experience the “biblical” version of peace? How can the group encourage you when your life gets hard?