The Magic Of ChristmasSample

“Be Still” Peace. I often wonder how drastically a healthy dose of peace would alter our lives in a world propelled by unforgiving deadlines, constant evaluations, urgent requests, long carpool lines, ceaseless reminders, a relentless inbox, and hours at the grocery store. In addition, the Christmas season normally intensifies the mess by forcing us to coordinate dates, parties, travel, finances, and family. What would our lives look like if we invited peace in, deep within? I’m not talking about an hour at a yoga class twice a week, thirty minutes at the gym each day, or even a walk around the block after dinner to get your blood flowing (or catch a break from the noise at home). Don’t misunderstand. Those are great, temporary prescriptions for conditional peace and even our sanity. But they are fleeting and are quickly replaced with the chaos and urgency of life. Christ challenges us to go deeper than the physical. He challenges us to invite peace into our daily state of mind, heart, soul, and spirit. Peace as a state of mind is not dependent upon our physical surroundings or dictated by our present circumstances. Peace as a state of heart is unconditional, enduring even when life around us seems hectic and busy. Peace as a state of soul goes beyond what we learn from devotionals and quiet times; it reminds us throughout the entire day that we are deeply loved and powerfully saved. Peace as a state of spirit reminds us that even when the kids get under your skin or while nothing seems to be going well at work, Christ desires your heart to remain in peace, in rest, in tranquility, in stillness, in him. How do we achieve peace as a state of consciousness rather than a fleeting emotion? Be still. “Be still, and know that I am God.” – Psalm 46:10 As C.S. Lewis mentions in Mere Christianity, “God can’t give us peace and happiness apart from Himself because there is no such thing” (p. 50). When we find God within the course of each day, we find peace. "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you" (John 14:27). During this Christmas season, let’s begin to live with peace as part of our daily walks, not as distant retreats from the world. Jesse Barr Facilities