The season delivers its share of suddenly. Suddenly, there’s another gift to purchase. Suddenly, your kids get sick, and the car breaks down. Suddenly, your work world spins out of control. Suddenly, the news reports that the peace accord has unraveled and drone attacks resumed. Suddenly, the hot water tank goes out, just a few days before the family arrives. (True story at our house!)
A sudden message came to Bethlehem shepherds. Surprising, but also wondrously miraculous. Our classic nativity account tells: “And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.’” (Lk 2:13-14, KJV)
Suddenly, there was awakening and shaking. The shepherds were compelled to the Holy Babe who would utterly reshape everything, from individual human character to all of human history.
Peace on Earth
We are invited to form a new peace plan amidst our seasons’ sudden twists, turns, chaos, and conflict.
Our earth knows too much war and too many bombastic words. Our personal worlds, everyday relationships, and psychological framework also know the all-out conflict. While Advent season rings out love, joy, and peace, we don’t really know peace. Here’s the puzzling conundrum: peace gets gloriously proclaimed, yet we experience so little true and lasting peace.
What if we discover a genuinely peaceful way? The Angel’s message was both deeply personal—for individuals—and collective, for humanity world-wide. This holiday season, consider these five peace pivots to craft your own peace plan.
1. Ponder Real Peace
Move beyond viewing peace in overly simplistic, super-chill platitudes. Yes, good peace pursues harmony, but there’s even more substance. Accept richer biblical understanding. Recall that God’s shalom (the ancient Hebrew term for peace) and his eirene (the Greek term for peace) deliver his best plans for human flourishing and reconciliation. We were once God’s enemies (Rom. 5:10), but Jesus’ peace gives divine blessing to humans, right relationship with the LORD, and then more selfless love to share with one another.
Ponder the LORD’s selfless love—his forgiveness and peace-making for you. Pivot to say, “That’s what I need, God’s real peace!”
2. Personalize Christ’s Peace
Human nature pushes back. We resist and rebel thinking, “I’ll do life my way! I got this!” With this pivot, we genuinely open our hearts, to surrender the crown and throne. An especially poignant prophecy leaps from the Isaiah scroll, some seven hundred years prior to Jesus’ incarnation. Consider this and let it shape your receptivity.
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end… (Isa. 9:6-7a, ESV)
In ancient Hebrew, “Prince of Peace” is Sar Shalom. Sar is a title role that refers to a leading steward over a house, the headmaster or principal of a school, or the prince over a principality. In this context, we see the rule and reign of a royal governor. Our Sar Shalom orchestrates peaceful justice for neighbors, confident blessing in community, and healthy, right flourishing between humans and God.
The Prince of Peace leads the way toward ultimate peace; his character exudes all the best of shalom and eirene! Our Prince will deliver pervasive peace between nations, but also a very personal, deep-inside peace. The classic carol “What Child Is This?” urges us to “let loving hearts enthrone him.”
How receptive are you to his peace having royal sway in your life each day?
3. Prayerfully Cherish Peace
As you prayerfully pivot away from apathy, same-old-same-old, just putting up with a jumbled, chaotic heart, you can pray like this:
Jesus, Prince of Peace, I’ll let you have the throne and crown in my life. I’ve made a mess trying to rule my own life. Chaos and conflict abound. Forgive me, Lord, and have your way. I’m giving you rule and reign. Please bring your peace. Thank you, Jesus. Amen.
Then daily say thanks. Acknowledge that he’s your life leader multiple times each day. Humbly submit to his wise words, his good will, Jesus’ ways as you see his teaching and examples in the gospel stories. As you do, you will grow more peaceful. Pray for more peace, and he will supply!
Rehearse in your heart and mind that he is your King. He is in control of your personal world—and the whole world. You can trust him, even when the winds of war blow wildly. You also prayerfully cherish peace as you sing it. All the best carols ring out the glad tidings of joyous peace. Deliberately soak up the songs of the season.
4. Pass Peace to Others
Ironically, we might become self-consumed in this holy pursuit. Peace just becomes a matter of me feeling less anxious, more tranquil. Level up and pivot to share more intentional time, device-free, over coffee or a meal, fully focused on one or more people. Plan for several of these special times in the coming weeks. Simply, slowly, very intentionally be present. Listen deeply. Laugh, reflect, refocus, and rejoice together.
5. Passionately Cultivate Peace
We get lulled and dulled by the season’s sights and sounds. We forget that the Prince of Peace and prophetic promises are very real, with genuine ramifications for our daily lives. We anticipate King Jesus’ eventual second coming, when he will finally, fully, rule and reign, bringing the fulness of his peace upon earth. But in the here and now, let’s take seriously the ancient words:
Turn away from evil and do good. Search for peace, and work to maintain it. (Ps. 34:14, NLT)
And work for the peace and prosperity of the city where I sent you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, for its welfare will determine your welfare. (Jer. 29:7, NLT)
Your daily labors and culture-crafting help shape real peace for others. Let’s be intentional. Work hard to craft peace.
How will you start implementing the peace plan pivots this season?
