God’s Christmas Wrapping for the Soul
by Mary Lou Wawryzniak
“And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:7
“And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:7
In the days leading up to Christmas the idea of “peace on earth” seems as distant as heaven itself. Many of us have experienced anxiety and stress in planning and preparing for this beloved holiday. The shepherds were given a wonderful message of the birth of a Savior, and the promise of God’s peace and goodwill toward men. Do you ever wonder how this experience changed their lives and affected their families and friends? Just the same, we who have received Christ as Savior must ask, “Do we allow God to bring His peace into our lives through our relationship with Him?” And do we communicate this peace and our relationship with Christ to others?
The importance of obtaining and maintaining the peace God offers us depends on daily communication with God and hearing His voice through reading His Word. Once a person has given his life to Christ, they are assured of God’s presence by the Holy Spirit who dwells inside of us. God is saying in the above verse in Philippians that He “guards” as a military term, both our heart and mind as we place our lives in His hands - our emotions, desires, and purposes. So most importantly, at Christmas time, we can become the hands and feet of Jesus to our family and friends. Not merely through our gift-giving, but through our love and prayers, and witnessing to what Christ has done in our lives. That truly will be the best gift we can give them.
The importance of obtaining and maintaining the peace God offers us depends on daily communication with God and hearing His voice through reading His Word. Once a person has given his life to Christ, they are assured of God’s presence by the Holy Spirit who dwells inside of us. God is saying in the above verse in Philippians that He “guards” as a military term, both our heart and mind as we place our lives in His hands - our emotions, desires, and purposes. So most importantly, at Christmas time, we can become the hands and feet of Jesus to our family and friends. Not merely through our gift-giving, but through our love and prayers, and witnessing to what Christ has done in our lives. That truly will be the best gift we can give them.
Lord Jesus, please help us remember that life is fleeting, and we need to take every opportunity to be witnesses to Your love and grace in our lives. Help us to daily come to You in prayer that we might experience Your peace in our lives. Thank You for not only being our Savior, but our friend. During this Christmas season especially, help us to be vessels of Your peace. Amen.Return to blog.ehwc.org for a new Advent devotional December 1-25!