Peace
Read: Matthew 11:28-29
Are you weary, carrying a heavy burden? Come to me. I will refresh your life, for I am your oasis. Simply join your life with mine. Learn my ways and you’ll discover that I’m gentle, humble, easy to please. You will find refreshment and rest in me.
During this time of the year, you are probably feeling pulled in endless directions—Christmas parties, classroom celebrations, family traditions, and the pressure to find the perfect gifts are just a few that might come to mind.
Peace is a state of wholeness, calm, and renewal between us, God, and others. But if we are not careful, we can miss the opportunity to truly experience peace because we are so distracted by our calendars and commitments – even if they are filled with good things.
Under completely different circumstances thousands of years ago, God gave His people the Ten Commandments. He was talking to a group of people who had been in slavery for over 400 years and had come to believe that their value was tied to the number of bricks they could produce in any given day or week. And while that belief was likely deeply ingrained in the way they viewed themselves, God offered them a better option. He gave them a series of laws to establish peaceful and harmonious relationships among their communities and in their own personal relationships with God.
One of these commands includes taking a full day of rest called the Sabbath. In the New Testament, Jesus reiterates the importance of the Sabbath by reminding people that the Sabbath was not created so we would have another chore to do, but so we would have time to worship God and enjoy the good things He has given us—like a meal with friends and family, or relaxing and appreciating life.
While a full day of rest might feel impossible right now, you can still find ways to start small. You might choose to listen to worship music on your morning commute or spend an extra five minutes after you read the Bible to sit in God’s presence and ask Him questions about what you learned. Instead of getting on your phone when your alarm goes off, you could choose a slower start to your day before scrolling social media.
When we take a day of rest (or even an intentional 15-minute pause to our day), we admit we cannot get everything we need on our own. God gives peace through work and rest. We need both. Peace is His gift, but we must choose to accept it and trust that God will give us everything we need for today.
Adapted from the devotional Advent: A 25-Day Countdown to Christmas
