Episode 71: Advent Week 2: Peace

Christmas is in 17 days, are we feeling peaceful yet? Although peace is what most of us want to feel during the holiday season, we are usually too caught up in stress and chaos to actually experience it. If that is you, know that you are not alone. But here’s the good news: There are ways we can intentionally invite peace into our lives this Christmas season, even in the midst of shopping, wrapping, hosting, and doing all.the.things. Listen in this week as Lisa talks us through week 2 of our Advent series and gives us three practical ways we can position our hearts to experience peace—one of which may surprise (and challenge!) you.

Links:

7 Days of Peace verses:

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Transcript

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Hello and welcome to the Perl Salad Ground Podcast. I'm Lisa Banama, and today we are celebrating week two of our advent series focusing on peace. Let's get started. Well, hello, listeners. Welcome to the podcast. I will be doing my very first solo episode today. And if I was to choose a word or a theme that I would love to experience myself in this holiday season, it would definitely be peace. Traditionally, that is what you focus on on the second week of Advent. It's the second candle that you light if you have a wreath. It is definitely what we most want, I think, in this season. If we're talking about feelings, right? So often the feeling that usually creeps up on us is stress and anxiety, maybe exhaustion as we try to accomplish all of the things that need to happen. Make grocery lists, prepare meals, buy gifts, wrap gifts, attend all of the activities and parties, make sure everyone has something to wear to church, matching outfits. Maybe you've even tried to do Christmas cards and on and on and on the list goes. In fact, as I'm saying that, I can already feel the anxiety kind of creeping up and winding up within me. And yet, what this season is supposed to be about is Jesus, right? And he is the Prince of Peace. And yet, somehow in our humanness and in our culture, we have created a bunch of activity and busyness in a season that really what I think our hearts desire is calm and peace. And so, how do we get there? How do we, in the midst of all that we have going on in this holiday season, experience peace? How do we take that tangled mess of feelings and emotions and lists that we have in our minds and maybe in front of our faces? How do we take that and untangle it and feel peaceful? Well, I think there are three things we can do to help us this holiday season experience the peace that God can bring us. You know, we can only experience it through Him, of course, that goes without saying, but there are some intentional things that we can do to draw near to the Lord so that He can fill us with that peace that surpasses all understanding. And I don't know what you're going through in addition to the usual holiday stress, right? I always say that life does not get easier simply because it's Christmas, if only that was true. Life is hard all of the time. And so I'm sure some of you are coming into this holiday season with extra stress and extra worries and things that are making life even more difficult. And then to try to pretend that you're just celebrating Christmas in the midst of that can be difficult. I can remember a few years ago, one of my daughters was really struggling one evening with anxiety. She was having a hard time falling asleep, and I could hear her in her room, and so I went in to check on her, and she was actually starting to experience some panic. And so I can remember rubbing her back, and I remember praying over her, and nothing was settling her down. She just kept getting more and more upset. And so finally I said to her, just do me a favor, close your eyes. And I happened to have my phone with me, and I opened it up to an app that happens to list different um Bible verses according to topic. And so I remembered that I had this app, and so I went to the topic of anxiety slash peace. And I opened up the app and I just started to read scripture over her as I rubbed her back. And it was quite incredible to be a part of that. Because let me just tell you, with every word that I read over my daughter, I watched her body physically respond to the word of God. I said as I rubbed her back, I watched her breathing slow. I watched her body relax, verse by verse by verse, until she finally just fell asleep. It was probably one of the most powerful examples of what Scripture can do if we take the time to intentionally turn to it when we're in those moments of stress. I will never forget that night because it was such a reminder for me that if I want to experience peace, I need to be in the Word of God. I need to hear His words. I need to remind myself of His truth. And so often that is not what we do in those moments of stress. And I know it's tempting right now for us to take a break. In fact, some of our Bible studies do take a break because it is busy and attendance is low. But can I just encourage you that if you want to experience peace in this holiday season, to get in the Word of God? I think of John 16, 33, when Jesus says to his disciples, I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation, but take heart. I have overcome the world. And I look at that verse, and I think we tend to skip the first part of that verse where it says, I have said these things to you that in me you may have peace. Jesus is talking to the disciples here, and he had just gotten done teaching them. And if for us, that's scripture. That's John 16, that's the Bible. And he's saying that my words that I'm telling you can bring you peace. And so what that reminds us is that his words can also bring us peace, that that is why he has given them to us. This is why the Bible exists, so that in his words we may have peace. And so that's my encouragement and my first little intentional reminder for you this week is get in the Word of God. If you are stuck in stress or chaos or anxiety, get your Bible out and read some scripture and see what it can do to help you with this. I created a little bit of a week-long Bible verse plan for you. So I found seven verses that focus on peace that I would encourage you to read every day and one a day and just maybe meditate on it. And I know that as of Sunday, for you rule followers out there, we would be shifting our focus to joy. So I made your Sunday and Monday verses focus on both peace and joy. So you're checking all the boxes here. But my point is that I really want to remind us that although sometimes we want to take a break and think we're doing ourselves a favor, the truth is that the peace we are seeking and desiring is found in God, in God alone. And we're not going to get it any other way than by hearing the words and the reminders and the promises that he speaks over us. And that is why we have the Bible. The other thing I wanted to mention, the second thing, the second suggestion that I have, is that if we want to experience peace, we also need to be in prayer. The Bible is very clear about this. Philippians 4, verses 6 and 7. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. So do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation by prayer and petition. Again, I think often we forget to pray. I think we spend a lot of time thinking about things and ruminating on things and worrying about things. But I don't think we often present them to the Lord in prayer. Maybe intentionally take some time to do that this week. A few episodes back, we talked about bench prayers, about going into a cozy corner of your house with a blanket and maybe a cup of tea or coffee or cocoa and just laying out your heart before the Lord. Instead of keeping it all inside and trying to, in our own strength, manage and control the feelings that we are experiencing. What if we just brought them to God? As messy as they can be, right? Because we're also talking to family members maybe we haven't engaged with in a while. There's a lot of that can come into the holiday season that can feel extra stressful. And so talk to God about it. You know, if one of your children, because they're home from school and there's a lot of extra time together, maybe than normal, you're worried about how you're going to be getting along with them, how you're having patience with them, how can you have peace with them? Well, pray about it. It's a simple thing. We know we're supposed to do, but I don't think we often do it. And so maybe that is your rhythm this week. It's to read one of those scriptures and to immediately afterwards pray. Pray specifically to the Lord about what is making you stressed and ask him to help you, even if it's just buying gifts. He still cares about that. Help him center your heart even around that. He'll do it. There's nothing too small for God. Okay, so we've talked about if we want to experience peace, we need to be in the word. And if we want to experience peace, we need to be in prayer. And then the last way that we can experience peace was a surprising little nudge from the Lord that I got this week as I was kind of researching and thinking about the different ways that we can experience peace and like live it out. You know, I keep thinking of that, live it out. Because peace is a concept that sounds really great, but how do we actually then live out peace? I want to experience it by being near to the Lord, but then how do I actually live that out in my own life? Beyond just reading scripture and prayer, how can I live out peace? Well, we need to be peacemakers. I think when I was in my mind conceiving this idea of experiencing peace, it felt very much like within me, right? I didn't really think about what it would look like to have it around me or how I could bring it to the people in my life. But scripture, there are there's many, many scriptures that point to the fact that as believers, we are supposed to be peacemakers. And Christmas is a great time to be just that to strangers, but even within our own families and our own homes for that matter. And I think if I'm honest, often when I am stressed, that is the last thing I am. When I don't have peace within me, I certainly don't bring peace to those around me. And so, sure, it starts with those first two intentional acts, right? To settle our hearts and get ourselves grounded in the Lord and let Him bring peace to our hearts like only He can, right? That's that abiding peace that we've talked about many times. And so that you only can bear fruit if you're abiding in the Lord, right? We can't produce it ourselves. We can't just say, okay, I'm gonna be peaceful today. That's not how it works, right? We have to abide in Christ if we want to experience that fruit of the Spirit. But there are ways that we can then extend peace to others and be a peacemaker. James 3 18 says, and a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. Matthew 5 9. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. And so when we think about peace in this season, what if it wasn't just about us feeling less stressed? What if it was about us being intentional peacemakers in our homes, in our churches, in our communities? What would that look like? What would it look like at a family gathering when there's a certain someone you know you don't get along with? What if you you prayed before? What if you took a step away and prayed during? What would it look like to go above and beyond and be a peacemaker in those situations? What powerful thing the Lord could do in our hearts and in the hearts of those around us if we took him at his word? If we believed that we are peacemakers because we are his children, or that as his children, he expects us to be peacemakers. And so instead of being a waddled up stress ball, we could settle our souls in the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords, and then extend that to the people he places in our path. That is how we experience peace this season, my friends. It's not just something that magically comes down from the Lord, right? It's something we can experience by reading his words, by making time to draw near to him, both through scripture and then also through prayer by praying real honest prayers before him. Even if that prayer is full of grief. I know this season can feel heavy for someone if they're missing someone at that table or at that maybe it's their first year experiencing Christmas without someone, or maybe it's their tenth year and it just doesn't get easier. Go to the Lord with that. That is what he came to do is to bring peace to our hearts. But we have to be willing to go to him and offer him our heart. And then finally, don't just keep that peace to yourself, right? Be the peacemaker that God asks us to be. The Prince of Peace wants us to join him and to offer love and extend love to the people around us, right? And so to close us out, I thought that I could live it out while also blessing you. So I've created this document full of verses, but I'm actually going to just read them over you right now. I thought maybe it would be an opportunity for you. If you're driving, don't do this. You can just listen. But if you're not, if you're at home right now, I would encourage you just to close your eyes and to listen to the word of God being spoken over you. And then I will end us in prayer. Isaiah 9 6. For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders, and he will be called wonderful counselor, mighty God, everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. I leave you, my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not be afraid. Philippians four, six through seven. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God, and the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your mind in Christ Jesus. In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety. Isaiah twenty-six three. You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast because they trust in you. Matthew five, nine. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Romans 15, 13. May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Let's go to the Lord in prayer. Oh Heavenly Father, I just thank you for this time to just quiet our minds, quiet our souls, and to open our hearts to you. Thank you for being the Prince of Peace. Lord, you are our hope and we have our anchor in that. But Lord, you are such a generous and kind God that you also promise us peace when we take you at your word, and when we read your word, and when we talk to you in prayer. Father God, when we feel that presence right now, may we trust in your goodness. And that we can take a deep breath and know that all is well. That when you are in it, Emmanuel God with us, all is well. Father God, help us to be peacemakers this week. As we trust in you, as we read your words, and as we pray. Change our hearts, transform our relationships so they all reflect you and your love. In your name we pray, Jesus. Amen. Okay, listeners, let's ask God to fill our hearts and minds with his peace this week. Even mom is at some point.