Silent Night, Holy Night, All is calm, all is bright… Sleep in heavenly peace, SLEEP IN HEAVENLY PEACE?!
There is a lot to love about the Christmas Season: the music, the lights, the treats! I love the joy my wife takes in decorating our home. I love the reconnection with people at church that we may not have seen for too long. If I were honest though, what I love most are the moments that feel like resting “in heavenly peace.”
Unfortunately for many pastors, the season increases busyness, frustration and stress. We work to help those in darkness find the joy of Christmas peace for the first time. We work to help believers fully experience Christmas joy through deepening, obedient faith. Too often though we do this without finding time for our own souls and families to enjoy that same rest. Jesus’ Christmas rest is something we must choose to receive.
My simple aim in this post is to encourage you to choose Jesus’ peace this season no matter what responsibilities you have left before Christmas day.
Mark 6:31 And He *said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a secluded place and rest a little while.” …33 The people saw them going, and many recognized them and ran there together on foot from all the cities, and got there ahead of them. 34 When Jesus went ashore, He saw a large crowd…
I wonder if our families feel a bit like the disciples in Mark 6:331-34.. After a busy season, Jesus calls them to come away with him alone to rest. BUT then it notes that the people saw them and ran ahead to get where they were going before they got there. So many came that Jesus ended up teaching all day and asking the disciples to serve a giant meal with almost no physical resources! Doesn’t sound like rest to me. In the same way I fear our family’s hope to rest with us gets hijacked during the Christmas season!
Continue reading Finding Christmas Rest
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