1 Corinthians 7:15 "..But God has called us to peace."
Psalm 34:14 "Depart from evil and do good; Seek peace and pursue it."
The time between Thanksgiving and Christmas can be hectic. Along with the chaos there will be many filled with grief, sorrow, and depression. It should be a joyous time of year, but the truth is there will be some that will be missing loved one's that have gone on to their eternal resting place. There will also be some that won't be able to partake in the commercialized part of Christmas because they are broke (and that depresses people even more).
It is sad that we have commercialized Christmas so much that it will depress some that much. We all know that Christmas is all about Jesus and His birth and we give to honor Him because He gave us so much. At least that is what Christmas derived from and that is what it should be about. So, what can we do to help ourselves or others during this time of year? Encourage ourselves and especially encourage others to seek peace. (This is a major piece of Christian Resilience).
Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 7:15 that "God has called us to peace". We have peace first and foremost because He sent His only Son to take our place on that cross so that we can be right with Him. He sent.. That is the day that we celebrate Christmas. Because He sent His Son we can be forgiven and no longer be separated from Him.
However, as Christians we should seek that peace that we have in God. As the Psalmist says, "Depart from evil and do good..". That is truly what Christ saved us from isn't it; our sin (evil)? In order to obtain peace we have to first turn from our sin (180 degrees) and start a new path in our lives toward the good that God has called us to. When we have made an honest effort to turn from the sin in our lives we can pursue peace; that is, chase after it as if that is all we want!
"What does the dark have to do with the Light?" The two are contrary to one another and neither can exist in the presence of the other. There will either be Light or darkness. It is the same concept with our lives. We will either pursue evil or we will pursue peace, but there can not be both because they are enemies of each other.
You may be thinking, "Well it isn't evil that is causing me or others to grieve". Remember, "God has called us to peace". We can not allow the worries of the world to drown that peace. Whether it is grief due to the loss of a loved one or the lack of funds we must find peace with it for ourselves and others that are in our lives. It's alright to remember those that aren't with us anymore, but it can become bondage to allow the memories to weigh us down and rob us of our joy and peace. (Bondage to anything is evil).
What about the lack of funds to partake in the commercialized Christmas? I will first say that Christmas (or Thanksgiving for that matter) isn't about buying the biggest and best stuff. It is celebrating the birth of our Lord and Savior. Do what you can and if you can't do anything at all that is fine because as a Christian God gave you the best present of all and that is peace of being right with God.
Please, find peace during this time of year and enjoy the peace of God.
Shalom ~Dale Griggs
No comments:
Post a Comment