Christmas #1: Introduction & "He is Peace"

Introduction
(disclaimer: the rest of these Christmas posts will be shorter than this one will vary greatly in length :)


I love that in these times we live in, Christmas is celebrated for an entire month -- not just for a day.  (Sure, there's the consumer/capitalism side of things.  Then there's the large demographic of people who do not celebrate the coming of Christ, but some other secular or religious winter holiday, which is fine).  But all those things aside, we Christians get this thing called "Christmas" which we use to specifically celebrate and meditate on the coming of Jesus.  What a better thing to celebrate for an entire month?

As a challenge to myself and hopefully an encouragement to others, I've decided to post about a characteristic of Jesus every day from now until Christmas.  I'm not going to be describing Him with adjectives, but nouns, because I believe it is a more effective way to expose the vastness of who He is.  (e.g. God does not necessarily give you patience.  He gives you Christ, and Christ is patience.  He is not just bright -- He is LIGHT.  Etc).
Here we go!


He is Peace

We all know this story from Matthew:  Jesus is on a boat with His disciples, this ridiculously strong wind storm begins, these highly experienced fishermen/boatmen start freaking out, then they wake Jesus up and ask Him why He doesn't seem to care that they're all about to die.  Then the amazing part happens: He calms the storm.

Storms rage throughout all our lives.  They're raging in different areas of our lives right now.  We may become impatient or resentful at God when He doesn't calm the storm AROUND us, but Jesus is ever faithful to calm the storms that rage IN us.  Lately I've felt like as I accomplish one task, two more sprout up in its place.  And even the manageable tasks have been stressing me out.  I reminded myself just a couple days ago that this is not something I have to live with.  It's merely a symptom of not holding fast to the Head (Col 2:19).

Peace for an individual is not the absence of strenuous circumstance.  Peace is a state of mind and the state of your heart.  And it is something that you cannot bring about by manipulating your circumstances.


Phillipians 4:6-7
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.


What does "THROUGH CHRIST JESUS" mean? It means that Jesus is the way in which we receive that peace that "guards our hearts and minds." Therefore, there is no peace apart from Christ. You can't earn or achieve peace any more than you can earn or achieve His love.


Jesus the Christ is peace. Put Him on the way you would a huge coat, and let HIM live HIS life through you.