The world is a chaotic place. This time of year only amplifies that disorder with all of the shopping, the baking, the wrapping, and the parties, and the hustle & bustle that go along with it. The other day I got caught up in it all and went to a quiet place in our house for five minutes just to be by myself, and then the Holy Spirit reminded me of something, that when the person we are supposed to be celebrating came into the world, it wasn’t foretold that He would bring disarray and confusion, but peace.
“Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.”
When we get overwhelmed by what the world is telling us we should prioritize, maybe we just need to take a look at The Word and see what it has to say. Because in Philippians it says:
“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”
God’s peace is something that I know I forget is promised to me. Even the day-to-day tasks seem a little bit harder to get logistics figured out. Just the other day I was asked to help with the worship team for the Christmas Eve service. My wife works at the church and has duties that she needs to take care of during the service, and for whatever reason, it took us forever to figure out who was going to watch our three-year-old. I understand that comes with being a parent, but it was a bit messy. If I had stopped and prayed about what I needed to do (probably just to have said no to the request), He would have given me peace and understanding, instead of the confusion.
So, when you are last minute shopping for your Dad because he never tells you what he wants, or for the family member who wasn’t coming over, and two days before now decides she can, try starting your day out by thanking God for all He has done in your life, and just remember that God never wanted us to have our hearts hardened by anxiousness, instead He lovingly offers to be our Prince of Peace.