"Peace of earth, good will toward men." (Luke 2:14b)
I've had reason to reflect on those words and their implication in recent days.
I thought of it on Tuesday as I was out Christmas shopping. I was driving the speed limit on I-635 (The beltway around Dallas). I was in the outside lane, and as I approached an entrance ramp I noticed a slow moving car preparing to merge. Traffic was heavy, so switching lanes was not an option. I slowed slightly, allowing them to settle into the spot in front of me. Settle in they did, literally. I expected them to speed up, but they went slower. I could see the frustration in the driver behind me, as he tightened his grip on the steering wheel. I was seething as well. My joyful Christmas spirit disappeared, as I was stuck behind a poky driver for the next three miles till I reached my exit.
"There is no peace on earth, he said."
Yesterday morning it happened again when I stopped at the local Kroger. I avoid the scan-it-yourself lanes. I like talking to people. This time I got my wish. I had plenty of time for conversation with the couple behind me. The woman in front of us was engaged in a heated debate with the cashier, manager and anyone else who would listen. As the second past, I grew more frustrated. This drama was disrupting my schedule.
"There is no peace on earth, he said."
So this morning I decided to slow down, not just to pause and contemplate the meaning of the Christmas season, but the implications of having a Savior. Jesus came to bring me peace, not peace from the inconveniences of life, but eternal peace. I know my eternal future is secure. I have a Savior who has given me eternal life as a Christmas gift. That is the Good News of Christmas.
I truly believe that is what we need to focus on, not just on Christmas Day but on each day following as well. The peace of Christmas should permeate every aspect of our lives, enabling us to live peaceably with all people, in all situations.
I don't think we've taken Jesus' words, "Blessed are the peacemakers," to heart. Perhaps that is why we are so despised by the world, and labeled as hypocrites by so many under the age of thirty.
Be a peacemaker this Christmas. In fact, be a peacemaker in the days and weeks and months after Christmas. That is the gift we need to give our children this Christmas. That is the legacy we need to pass on to them, and to their children and to the generations to come.
Your eternal future is secure... Be at peace.
Love this....so true. Peace is not one of my strong suits....I am frequently busy and rushed and annoyed by such inconveniences, as you were! May this Christmas I, and everyone else who reads, practice peace!
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