Read and Grow

It’s Christmas. The season of peace and goodwill to all men. We enter this season with good intentions, but then we fight for a parking spot at the shops and all of a sudden peace goes out the window. Someone says something unintentionally offensive at a family gathering and there goes ‘goodwill to all men’.

Isn’t it funny that Peace can be a rare commodity in the same season that we celebrate the Prince of Peace? That’s exactly why Peace is an attention-grabbing way to share Jesus at Christmas.

What does ‘peace on earth’ look like, and what does Jesus say about it?

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.” – Matthew 5:9.

Jesus said this as part of his famed Sermon on the Mount — undoubtedly one of His biggest statements — and it’s worth unpacking...

Firstly, he doesn’t say we should be peaceKEEPERs, he says we will be blessed if we are peaceMAKERs. ‘Maker’ is an active word and implies action, creation, and intention. It literally describes someone who produces something. We are to be people who create peace. This means, in that sensitive family scenario, rather than reacting in the moment, it’s worth coming up with a game plan to help create peace.

This verse is bookended by two promises: that we will be blessed and that we will be called Children of God. When we go about our lives ‘making’ peace, people will notice. Our actions will set us apart from the ordinary. When we make peace, we are actually bringing glimpses of heaven to earth. Peace on earth and goodwill to men starts with us, our friends, and our families. As we get active about creating peace out of conflict, Jesus will come alive in us and our relationships.

The world has enough conflict and ‘bad-will’. Make the most of Christmas by living a life that creates peace and puts Jesus on display.

BIBLE VERSES

Matthew 5:9 – “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.”

Luke 1:78-79 – “...because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace.”

What does Christmas mean to you? Eggnog, baubles, snow, mistletoe? In all the noise, it can be easy to forget that baby Jesus is the same King Jesus that died on the cross to save the entire human race!

Make the most of Christmas this year by sharing the gospel with your friends and family who don’t know Jesus.

Here’s an easy-to-remember 4-part guide to help make the gospel simple to explain and easy to understand.

1. God’s Position Is Love

God loves the world and His love is on display all around you. This is not a love that must be earned or achieved; this is a love that is given unconditionally. God’s ultimate gift of love to the world is His son Jesus.

2. Our Problem Is Sin

Sin is humanity’s ‘own way’ attitude that cut off our relationship with God. Our sin separates us from God, so we need someone to save us.

3. God’s Solution is Jesus

Jesus is the savior we need to bridge the gap back to Him. Jesus is God, and He came to the world willingly to give up His life to take the penalty for our sin.

4. Our Part is Response

Believing in Jesus means turning from sin and trusting in Jesus as your savior.

Here are 3 practical ways you can share the gospel this Christmas:

PRAY

Ask the Holy Spirit to put people on your heart to share the gospel with.

CONNECT

Open deeper levels of conversation by asking meaningful questions.

RESPOND

Look for opportunities to share the gospel in conversations.

Make the most of Christmas by simply asking your family and friends who don’t know Jesus whether they understand why Jesus is so important. Memorize these 4 steps so you can explain the full picture of the gospel in a way that’s easy to remember.

DAILY CHALLENGE

Memorize the 4-part Gospel so you’re ready when you’re in a conversation about Jesus.

We live in a world full of restlessness, fear, and instability. Yet, as Christians, Jesus offers us peace amidst it all.

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

Peace is one of the greatest gifts God gave to mankind. Yet, often we can feel far from peace. So how do we as Christians live from the place of peace that Jesus describes? Erwin McManus illustrates it well when he speaks about worship, and how genuine worship can create a shift of responsibility in our thinking.

When we are feeling overwhelmed by life, feeling the stress, anxiety, and the despair, McManus says it’s because we have taken on responsibility for things that we do not have the power to carry. So how do we shift the burden and draw on the peace Jesus offers?

Let it Go

Erwin explains when we take on the stressors it’s like we pitch a horizontal roof over our life. When the rain falls, it gets heavy and our roof collapses. Yet, if we shift our roof to be more vertical, aka, connect with God, it causes the rain to pour off to the side and water all the fields around it, growing a harvest that eventually bears fruit.

Re-align

Worshipping God teaches our soul to shift our roof vertically. This helps us to re-align our internal narrative too, “This is bigger than me. This is not mine to bear. I’m going to give it to God,” which can provide a sense of peace even in the chaos.

Practice

When the stressors of life start to take over your peace, practice the art of refining your soul worship so that when the rain comes, you can continue to be peacemakers who create fruit within the storm.

How are you practicing the art of resting in God's peace in this season?

Have you ever felt like you’re not living a life “on mission” because you work in a secular career? Perhaps you have a burning desire to make a difference in the world, but you feel confined by your day-to-day responsibilities of work or study.

As Christians, it’s easy to develop a mindset that our “Christian life” is separate from our “Monday-Friday life”. Sometimes we can have the perspective that the spiritual practices in our life are important to God, but the secular ones such as going to work, don’t matter (or at least, not as much). We can assume that God is nearer when we’re doing spiritual things, but not as close when we’re going about our day-to-day lives. But God is omnipresent; He is with you wherever you go, and He cares about every aspect of your life. You don’t have a “spiritual life” and a “secular life”—the Holy Spirit lives in you, so your whole life—including your career—is spirit-filled!

Your job can be your ministry and your workplace can be your mission field.

You don’t have to be a missionary to be on mission. You might be the only Christian that your workmates encounter, so that’s a great opportunity for you to be an example of Jesus. This could look like making choices to act above reproach in all circumstances, including at work. Or not engaging in office gossip, choosing to be a peacemaker when conflict arises, or being kind and generous to those you work with. These are good examples, but the opportunities are almost endless for you to be an influence for the gospel within the arena of your career. As you grow in awareness that your workplace is your ministry, you will naturally begin to notice opportunities to share your faith.

Know that your gifts are God-given; therefore, do everything as if you were doing it for God.

God isn’t just with you in the big moments; He is with you in the everyday, mundane tasks of life. You can serve Him in everything you do! In the book of Romans, Paul puts it like this:

So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him (Romans 12:1, MSG).

God created you with individual gifts, talents, and skills, to be used for His glory. So whatever your sphere is, own it! Do great work—be an amazing IT specialist, graphic designer, carpenter, nurse, etc. Allow your dedication and the beauty of your craft to be an act of worship.

3 tips to owning your sphere:

1. Spend some time in God’s presence on your way to work. Ask the Holy Spirit to show you opportunities to be Jesus to your workmates.
2. Write out a mission statement which highlights your purpose and values in the workplace (hint: ask yourself “what do I want to be known for after I leave?”).
3. Reflect on your gifts, talents, and skills. How could you use them for God’s purpose?

Whatever sphere you find yourself in, you can be an influencer for Jesus. How can you own your sphere this week?