Advent Devo 12/6

HE Made Peace

We are a divided people.

That's a no-brainer.

But what Jesus calls us to is Unity. Unity with each other, deep love for each other, and to take care of each other.

These are the things that Jesus said would make us stand out in the world... more than that, these are things that the Global Church should be marked by.

I have found that everyone loves the idea of unity... until they have to actually get dirty.

We all feel that others should bend to our way of doing things, we want the least amount of compromise as possible.

However, there is also something about the Christmas season that allows us to forgo some of our stubborness. This is the season where churches across denominational lines do more together than any time else. It's also a time that is noted for being a season where people can come together for common causes.

I love that. It is definitely a step in the right direction in my eyes... but I want to call us to something deeper. I think the root cause of most of our divisiveness is a lack of peace.

We don't have peace of mind ourselves. We lack peace in our relationships. And... we have a fear of a lack of peace with God. We have sayings like "He has to make his peace with God."

The problem with that mentality is that we can't make peace with God.

It's impossible.

That's why God did it for us. He made peace with Himself, for our sake.

Today, dwell on that. Remember that Peace, which even now seems so unattainable, was attained for us. Rest in that. Worship in that. Revel in the mystery of Christ unfolding before our very hearts.

And... ask yourself, who can you make peace with this Christmas season? What steps can you take to make peace with a fellow Christian, friend, or people group? Be honest with yourself with who you may need to make peace with, and take a step today toward making that a reality.