Welcome to the NeighborhoodSample

I think we can all agree the world needs peace, right? I mean, even a literal army of angels came to proclaim the good news and asked God to give us peace! We often get so desperate for peace that we search and search for it in places unable to supply it, and then we just end up with even less peace and more stress. I think that’s what’s happening in our world right now. We search for peace in every place except for God–the only one who can truly give us peace–and then we resort to hatred and division. When we look at this verse, we are offered a solution. When we break down this verse, we get two parts—the highest heavens and Earth. The angels are basically saying, in the highest heavens, Glory to God, and on Earth, peace for humanity. So what do glory and peace have in common? I see it as a cause-and-effect situation. We give God all of our thanks and credit for what we do and what we say to God, and in that, we find peace. It’s such a weight off of our shoulders to give the pressure, performance, and perfection up to Jesus to handle.

So as you go throughout this Christmas season, I want to challenge you with this: focus more on giving God credit for what you do and why you do it, and you’ll find that you have more peace when it comes to stressful situations.

To get started today, fill in these blanks:

I have been stressed about ___________, but today I trust God will take care of me.

I have been proud of myself for ____________, but today I thank God for all of my wins.

I have been struggling with _________, but today I lean on God for my strength.