Advent Week 2: Peace

You will keep the man in perfect peace whose mind is kept on You, because he trusts in You. (Isaiah 26:3)

There is nothing quite like the modern American Christmas season to keep us from the peace of God, is there? Starting with "Black Friday" (or even sooner, it seems), peace seems to fly out the window. Bargain-hungry shoppers trample each other to get the best deal on the latest gadget, and many of us stress about what special gift to get a special someone in our lives. Meanwhile, there are decorations to put up, parties to plan, cookies to bake, gifts to wrap and cards to mail out, all while continuing to work and fulfill our normal daily obligations. Whew!

This commercialized version of Christmas is an animal that seems to have taken on a life of its own, and none of us is completely immune to it. There's nothing wrong with having parties and buying gifts at Christmas - after all, it is a time of celebration and joy - but it's too easy to get caught up in the process while forgetting the reason. And there's nothing like a major holiday to bring out family stress, am I right? Bitter old resentments have a tendency to bubble to the surface, and even if they don't, the anticipation creates a sense of dread we'd just as soon avoid. I've witnessed family members lose weight and develop migraines over the stress of having to face relatives they'd rather never see again. Even though we realize that this is no way to observe the birthday of our Lord, we can't seem to help ourselves. After all, the human condition is powerful - so powerful that only the Prince of Peace could overcome it.

Whenever I feel my blood pressure rising due to the hectic pace of the Christmas season, I need only ponder what Mary must have felt like. God had chosen her to carry and give birth to the Savior of the world. She was forced to give birth in less-than-ideal surroundings, and shortly after the birth, her new family was forced to flee due to death threats against baby Jesus. I don't know about you, but even the thought of all that is stressful! But Mary had confidence in God. She trusted that He would see her through such an enormous responsibility. What exactly am I so stressed about, then?

It would be nice if the world could live in peace, if war were nothing more than a concept, rather than a reality. But as long as evil exerts his influence, we have no choice but to push back against it. I know I don't have the ability to stop nations from warring against each other, but I do have the power to stop myself from warring against a neighbor, a friend, a relative, even an enemy. In the way I interact with others in my life, I have the ability to choose peace. During this season that celebrates the birth of the Prince of Peace, the least I can do is immulate my Lord as best I can.

Father, keep our minds on You, so that we may be kept in perfect peace. Amen.