All is Calm, All is Bright
Christmas is a beautiful time of the year—it’s a time to celebrate the birth of Christ! And just like every holiday season, there’s a very good chance you’ll be spending time with friends and family members…sharing meals, shopping, giving and receiving gifts, attending special Christmas programs…and the list goes on. But even when your days are filled to overflowing with all kinds of activities that can drain you of your physical energy and leave your mind reeling from the sheer volume, you can still have a “peace that transcends understanding” (see Philippians 4:7 AMP). Advent gives us a chance to focus on the God-given peace that came in the form of a baby. Jesus came so that we could experience the peace of God, and He even taught us how to do that by the life He lived. Jesus is the Prince of Peace; He left His peace for us to enjoy, and He wants to help us live and maintain a peaceful life. The way to do that is to pursue peace and go after it. First Peter 3:10-11 (NASB) says,