‘Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you.’
Jesus – John 14:27
Do you find Christmas can be really stressful? It is so easy to get caught up in the ‘doing’ and find it hard to enjoy. There is so much that you need to focus on… presents to buy, adorning your home with beautiful Christmas decorations, special food to organise and cook, and Christmas cards to write. Before you know it Christmas has become devoid of any enjoyment and reduced to an advent calendar filled with endless to-do lists. Just thinking about it all can make you feel stressed and longing for peace at Christmas!
Christmas isn’t meant to be distressing. It’s about celebrating the birth of Jesus and a season of peace, not stress. In Isaiah 9:6 Jesus is described as the Prince of Peace. When we celebrate His birth we are celebrating that He is Peace, It is not something that He just demonstrated in His life. Peace is the very essence of who He is.
In Isaiah 9:6 Jesus is described as the Prince of Peace. When we celebrate His birth we are celebrating that He is Peace, It is not something that He just demonstrated in His life. Peace is the very essence of who He is. Share on X
Towards the end of His earthly life, Jesus gives His disciples the gift of peace. In John 14:27 He says, ‘Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.’
This gift of peace is actually like a last will and testament. Peace has been given to you and it is legally yours. What this means is, Jesus has already given us peace so you don’t need to keep asking or striving for it. The question is have you accepted His gift of peace and opened that gift and integrated it into your life. Or have you left it, effectively allowing it to be stolen from you by the enemy? That gift of peace has your name on it!
When you don’t open this gift of peace you end up struggling to find peace on your own terms, without God. Believe me, I have tried this in the past and it doesn’t work. You don’t have to strive or even ask for it. This gift of peace has already been given to you. You just need to open it and integrate it into your life. The question is how to do that?
Philippians 4:6-7 answers this question of how. It says, ‘Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.’
Wow! This verse is basically explaining how you can experience the gift of peace.
1. Identify when you are feeling anxious or stressed and need God’s peace.
2. Pray about it with thankfulness and let your request be made known to God. This is really important because an attitude of gratitude enables Jesus to bring peace. Thank Him that He is the Prince of Peace and for the peace that He has given you. Make your request the claiming of your inheritance.
3. Walk in His peace that is beyond your understanding. His promise is that this peace will guard you against any future anxiety and stress. Keep Him as your focus so you can continue in peace, remember this is all possible through Jesus. He is the Prince of Peace and the giver of peace.
I want to encourage you to spend time with God applying this 3 step process and create peace in your life. Be mindful that it is a learning process. The more you practice, the more peace you will have. I would love to hear how you go, so share in the Comments section.
The beautiful thing about this gift of peace is that it’s not only for the Christmas season but is available all year so you can live continually in peace.
If you found this blog helpful and you think someone you know may find it helpful too then please forward it to them.
Wishing you a peaceful Christmas
Robyn