(This post is part 2 of our Enjoying Advent! series. Here’s part 1 on Hope, if you missed it.)
I pray that reflecting on hope during week 1 filled your heart with the anticipation of the time when every wrong will be made right and all God’s promises will come true!
This week, we turn our hearts towards the peace that Advent offers. I trust these simple activities will help you engage your heart with God and enter into his peace this season.
Reflect on Peace
Peace lives as a longing in every heart. Look at the definition, and you’ll understand why.
Peace is the original, established order of God’s created world. Peace saturated all of creation before the fall. Its desire is woven into the fabric of our being, which is why we all deeply feel and grieve its loss.
We desire peace amongst countries, peoples, political parties, families, and relationships. We even long for peace within ourselves. Peace and surety that we belong, are of value, and have something of good to share with others.
While these desires can’t be fully met in this life, we do have the hope of true and lasting peace permeating life again one day. We also have the promise that God’s peace can make a difference in our own heart and life in the interim.
Jesus promised to give his peace to us. Not peace as the world defined it, but peace, security, wholeness given by God through Christ’s death on the cross. This is the gift baby Jesus came to bring. Peace with God.
His birth was the advent of the fulfilment of the promise of restored relationship. The ability for God to reside within man through the Holy Spirit and bring peace to our hearts.
Peace during this life won’t come from changes in external circumstances, it comes only as we find security, tranquility, and wholeness in relationship with God through the person of Jesus Christ.
May this week of Advent help you fix your eyes solidly on the character and strength of God.
May you run to him for refuge, protection, peace.
May you find peace for this life as you grow in relationship with Him.
And may he give you whispers and glimpses of the promise of perfect peace that will be one day.
How did Christ’s birth offer peace to the world? How does it offer peace to you?
Listen for Peace
As you think about peace this year, does it feel like a far-off dream? In many ways it does. And yet, God’s promise of peace is still as sure as ever.
These lyrics from I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day by Casting Crowns articulate well the longing and cry for peace now, the despair of not finding it, and the joy and radical difference in life we will experience when true peace reigns.
I heard the bells on Christmas Day
Their old familiar carols play
And mild and sweet their songs repeat
Of peace on earth good will to men
And in despair I bowed my head
There is no peace on earth I said
For hate is strong and mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good will to men
But the bells are ringing (Peace on Earth)
Like a choir singing (Peace on Earth)
Does anybody hear them?
Peace on earth, good will to men
Then rang the bells more loud and deep
God is not dead, nor doth He sleep (Peace on Earth, peace on Earth)
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail
With peace on earth, good will to men
Then ringing singing on its way
The world revolved from night to day
A voice, a chime, a chant sublime
Of peace on earth, good will to men
And the bells they’re ringing (Peace on Earth)
Like a choir they’re singing (Peace on Earth)
And with our hearts we’ll hear them
Peace on earth, good will to men
Take a minute to listen to the song and let your heart fill with the hope of perfect peace that will one day be reality.
Want more Christmas songs about peace? Listen to the remaining songs in the playlist!
Meditate on Peace
Read through these Scripture verses about peace. What stands out to you?
Choose a verse to reflect on during the week. Print it out, write it somewhere, or save the image as your wallpaper on your phone or computer.
I trust these simple ideas help you reflect on and enter into the peace of Christmas.
Want more ideas? Download the FREE Enjoying Advent! guide to find printables, reflective ideas, and more Scripture and songs to enhance your reflection on hope. (It also has ideas for helping children enjoy the peace of Christmas too! Read more about it here.)