Celebrating the Light of ChristmasSample

The Enemy of Peace Work pressures. Family commitments. Church outreaches. Your children’s extra-curricular activities. Christmas shopping. Holiday events and dinners. You may think your circumstances this time of year are the greatest enemies of your peace, but you’d be wrong. It isn’t circumstances that will rob you of your peace—it is the worry and anxiety that can creep in as a result. In other words, it is how you respond. Did you know stress is a choice? It is. We are so blessed that God gave us the ability to CHOOSE how we respond to this life. And if we choose not to have any anxiety, that’s when the peace that passes understanding will come into our lives like a flood. It isn’t easy, of course. But there are some ways to make choosing peace much easier. 1\. Make time for the Word of God. It will keep your eyes fixed on Him, your mind renewed to the truth, and your heart filled to the brim with encouragement. Then, cast every care over to Him! And do it for real. It really does work! 2\. Watch your media intake. It’s not going to do much good to fill up on the Word if you’re planning to drain out everything good by exposing yourself to the contrary. The media professing doom and gloom, movies and television shows proclaiming ungodly values, even family members who have embraced secular psychology. With all that unbelief swirling around you, you must make the quality decision to protect your mind and heart (Proverbs 4:20-23). That means turning off the television; connecting with strong, godly friends; and protecting your Bible study time. 3\. Plan ahead for your first response. If you decide in advance that you’re not going to stress, no matter what comes your way, you’ve got a head start on doing it! When you’re tempted to get upset or frustrated, you’ll remember your decision, stop and take a deep breath. Then, you can respond by speaking scripture, saying a prayer and declaring, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!” It’s time to cut the head off the giant between you and your peace. Douse every fear, worry and anxiety with the Word of God, and determine this Christmas will be stress-free and filled with the peace that passes understanding.