December 8 Advent: Jesus our Peace
Romans 12:18:
“If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.”
In addition to its excitement, the Christmas season often presents its own challenges: financial stress, seasonal overwhelm, loneliness, and especially relational friction. Some of the very moments that make Christmas special can also make it painful. This is because value and vulnerability go hand in hand. If our relationships didn’t matter to us, we wouldn’t feel their fractures so deeply.
As we dwell on the theme of peace in this second week of Advent, we might ask: Confronted with relational pain, how can we foster peace? Paul’s words in Romans 12:18 offer a helpful starting point: “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” This verse provides a couple of takeaways.
First, peace begins in the inner life. When Paul says, “as far as it depends on you,” he points out our sphere of responsibility: letting our hearts be shaped by the peace Christ has already provided. In Romans 5:1, Paul says, “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Advent reminds us that Jesus is not only the foundation for our peace, but also God’s embodied peace coming near. Before attempting to foster peace with others, we first receive Christ’s peace for our own hearts. His peace secures, heals, and orders our hearts. When our inner world is brought into harmony with Christ, peace naturally extends outward toward others.
Second, we cannot produce relational peace on our own. Relational peace requires the cooperation of others, which means that we cannot force its attainment. What we can do is invite Christ into those places in our lives that resist his peace – places of pride, mistrust, and hurt. Advent trains us in this waiting posture where we offer our efforts and entrust the outcome to Christ. And, if peace with others is unattainable, we can rest in good conscience knowing that the rupture is not due to our choices.
Let us begin this second Advent week by inviting Christ, the Prince of Peace into whatever feels disordered, distressed, or unsettled within us. From this place of receiving, let us extend peace toward others, especially toward those relationships marked by tension. As we endeavor to live at peace with all we remember that ultimate reconciliation belongs to Christ alone, the one who came, who is coming again, and who has already reconciled all things by making “peace through his blood, shed on the cross.”
December 9 Advent: Encouragement in the Waiting
Romans 12:18:
Anxiety weighs down the heart, but a kind word cheers it up.
Advent is a time of waiting, anticipating the coming of the Prince of Peace. And even in this season, one of the most common barriers to peace is anxiety. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, nearly one in five American adults experiences some form of anxiety disorder each year. This means that many of the people we see in our daily lives; our neighbors, coworkers, and friends, may well be carrying burdens we are unaware of.
The effects of anxiety vary widely, but one experience seems nearly universal: anxiety isolates us. It pulls our attention inward, fills our minds with frantic noise, and makes us feel cut off from the people right in front of us. It convinces us that we are alone even when we are not. Advent reminds us however, that God enters our anxious waiting with the promise of Emmanuel.
Proverbs 12:25 reminds us of the power a small act of kindness can have for those who suffer from anxiety: “Anxiety weighs down the heart, but a kind word cheers it up.” Most of us can remember a time when someone encouraged us when we really needed it. At times, these words of encouragement can become a lifeline that keeps us from giving up. While a kind word might feel insignificant, Proverbs tells us that it can lift someone who is weighed down by anxiety.
Today, let us remember that some of the people we see around are carrying hidden burdens. Let us follow the wisdom of proverbs and take a moment to intentionally notice those around us; give a word of affirmation; send a kind text; call someone who has been on your mind. Trust that the Lord who has come near to us as Emmanuel will use and multiply our small offerings of encouragement, turning them into signs of his nearness and helping us all to remember when we need it most, that we are never alone.
December 10 Advent: Seventy-Seven Times
Matthew 18:21-22
Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times? “Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.
All of us at some time or another become frustrated with the people around us: spouses, children, friends, colleagues, and others. Sometimes our frustrations are small and seemingly insignificant (until they steadily accumulate). Other times they are heavier, leaving wounds that linger. What is clear is that frustration can become a significant barrier to peace.
In Matthew 18:21-22, Peter asks Jesus a question that remains all too relevant today: “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?” In other words, “When can I faithfully stop forgiving?” Jesus’ response is striking: “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.” Here, Jesus does not intend for us to tally up offenses until it surpasses 490. According to Jesus, forgiveness is not something we count; it is a way of life, a continual decision to release others from their debts to us.
Of course, this kind of forgiveness is challenging. It runs counter to our instinct toward self-protection and fairness. It also requires courage. The courage to honestly face our wounds and entrust them to the God who fully understands our pain. As we endeavor to obey Christ in this regard, it can be helpful to remember that forgiveness is not merely an act of obedience toward God and mercy toward others. Forgiveness is also one of the primary ways God restores peace within us. Unforgiveness hardens our hearts, keeps us locked in rumination, and magnifies our hurt. In contrast, forgiveness opens our hearts to healing and freedom.
Forgiveness is thus a way of preparing for Christ’s coming during Advent. Just as John the Baptist proclaimed, “Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight paths for Him,” forgiveness clears away the obstacles that make it difficult for the peace of Christ to rule in our hearts. In the season of waiting, we are invited to practice forgiveness as a way of making room for him in our lives.
Today, let us find a moment to reflect on the people in our lives who hurt, frustrate, or anger us. First, let us courageously acknowledge the reality of our hurts, presenting them honestly before the Lord. Next, let us invite Christ into those guarded places of our hearts where hardening often begins to take root. Finally, let us surrender our pain to Emmanuel who forgave our own sins, and make the decision to forgive those who have wronged us. In this simple yet difficult task, we prepare our hearts for his coming opening ourselves to God’s peace, which not only heals our hearts but also makes it easier to extend forgiveness to others.
December 11 Advent: Bear One Another’s Burdens
Galatians 6:2
“Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.”
As we continue to dwell on the theme of peace this week, Advent reminds us that the peace Christ brings is not meant to be kept to ourselves. As we wait for the one who carries our burdens, we are called to imitate Christ by carrying the burdens of others. When we receive Christ’s peace, it becomes easier to seek peace with others, even those who frustrate us. Advent also guards us from becoming so preoccupied with our own inner peace that we neglect to foster it in lives of others.
In Galatians 6:2, Paul exhorts us, “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” As Jesus tells us in Matthew 22, all of Scripture’s commands are fulfilled in the law to love God and to love neighbor as ourselves. When we carry one another’s burdens, we are putting this command into practice in a tangible way.
But what does it look like to carry someone else’s burden? The answer will vary depending on the person and the circumstance. For some, it may mean offering a patient, listening ear. For others, it might involve helping with a task or chore that is causing stress. Advent reminds us that our small acts of love can foster a sense of God’s nearness. In every case, we remember that our peace is deeply interconnected with the peace of those around us. How we respond to those in need can either nurture or disrupt this shared peace.
Today, take a moment to reflect on someone in your life who might be carrying a burden. Ask the Lord for his guidance in how you might support that person, then choose one practical way to help. This might look like listening, offering encouragement, lending a hand, or simply asking, “How can I help you?” In doing this, we extend the peace Christ in this season of waiting.
December 12 Advent: Peace on Our Lips
Ephesians 4:29
Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.
Complaining seems to come naturally, doesn’t it? We grumble about fatigue, demanding work, household chores, finances, and even our sports team’s latest loss. But complaining doesn’t just weigh us down. It often spills over, affecting everyone around us. It narrows our vision, focusing our attention on what is lacking and blinding us to our many blessings. The more we complain, the more our peace diminishes. Advent invites us to dwell on God’s nearness, and complaining ultimately dulls the hope that Christ brings.
Paul exhorts us in Ephesians 4:29 to speak in a different way: “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” Scripture is consistent in affirming the power of our words. Proverbs 18:21 says, “The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who live it will eat is fruit.” When we let our frustrations and irritations affect our words and attitudes, we get stuck in our emotional reactions; fusing with our negative feelings rather than doing what brings life
Of course, we cannot directly control our feelings. They rise and fall like ocean waves. But what we can choose is how we act in response to our feelings. Acknowledging our tendency to complain is an important step because it opens us up to Spirit’s transforming work. When we invite the Lord into our frustrations, we begin loosening the grip these moods have on us. God helps us not by always removing our irritations and frustrations, but by granting us the courage to speak and act in ways that reflect his heart despite them. In this Advent season, these choices prepare room our hearts for the Prince of Peace.
Today, let us practice a few simple disciplines. First, acknowledge honestly before God the places where you are prone to complain. Bring them up without making excuses, allowing God’s truth to set you free. Then, ask Him for the strength to choose words that build up rather than tear down. Finally, remember that your words influence those around you. By choosing to speak words of life during Advent, we participate in the peace Christ brings to the World.
December 13 Advent: Peace Through Gratitude
Philippians 4:6
Do not be anxious about anything, 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 in Christ Jesus.
During this second week of Advent, we have explored the theme of peace: receiving Christ’s peace for ourselves and extending it to others, offering encouragement to the anxious, practicing forgiveness, carrying one another’s burdens, and using words that edify rather than tear down. Today we turn our attention to gratitude and the peace it creates.
Advent is a season of waiting, hope, and anticipation, yet it easily becomes filled with stress and distraction. As Christmas approaches, we feel the pressure to make plans, finish tasks, and meet expectations. Amid these pressures, we lose sight of all our many blessings. Our minds shift toward what we lack, what needs to be done, and what might go wrong. These anxieties ultimately pull us away from the peace Christ offers.
Paul addresses these concerns in Philippians 4:6-7. Instead of allowing anxiety to weigh us down, we are exhorted to bring all our concerns before the Lord with an attitude of thanksgiving. Thanksgiving shifts our focus back from what we lack toward God’s generosity, reminding us that “every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights.” Gratitude, like Advent, reminds us that God is an active presence in our lives. We may not know what the future holds, but we know who holds the future.
As you remember God’s goodness, take some time to reflect on all the things for which you are grateful. Thank the Lord for the gift of salvation through the Lord Jesus and share a word of appreciation to someone who has blessed your life. As you do this, allow Christ’s peace to move through you as we continue our Advent journey toward Christmas.