Advent Conspiracy Advent: Week Two – Peace
I explained the concept of ‘Advent conspiracy’ in a post a week ago, so I’ll cut right to the chase of this week’s Advent focus: Peace.
What is ‘Peace’?
Dictionary.com lists ten different definitions for Peace, and really multiple means could be applied during the Advent season. For the sake of this post, I chose to use the meaning of peace as, “a state of mutual harmony between people or groups, esp. in personal relations,” and also as meaning, “a state of tranquility or serenity.”
Giving Peace to Others
How can we give peace to people, though?
First of all, we can give peace to people through forgiveness. When you let someone go from the bonds of anger or hurt and choose to forgive, you give them the greatest peace that a person can give to another. Begin by seeking forgiveness from those you’ve hurt. We humans can tend to be a proud bunch and tend avoid the ominous words, “I was wrong. I’m sorry.” As Christians, however, we should seek to restore relationships with those we’ve hurt. Whatever has been the excuse for not apologizing before now, get over it and go say you’re sorry.
Give forgiveness also to those who have hurt you. Some people may not even realize the weight that you carry, just because of them. For seventeen years, I have carried around a weight toward someone who I decided to release from my hurt recently. I went to him & told him – he never knew that he had hurt me. The weight of anger and hurt and resentment that you carry toward someone will never feel as good or as free as when you decide to forgive.
Secondly, we can give peace to people by our flagrant friendship. Don’t brush off your friends or dismiss them for weeks on end. Be bold in the fact that you call them your friend. Spend time with them, let them know that you appreciate them, and speak highly of them. It is a peace to know your real friends will defend you even if you weren’t present. Flagrant friendship also means volunteering to help, without being asked; listening to a friend who is having a bad day and truly hearing what they say; and by being for them what you desire out of a friend for yourself.
Finally, we can give peace to people through your Faith. If JESUS has held held your head above the water just as you were about to drown, or HE has held your hand through unfathomable grief, tell others who now stand in those places. The peace that passes all understanding is JESUS. Although we know it and we think people know, there is an added peace in knowing that someone else has fallen this low, hurt this bad, cried this much and JESUS saw them through it.
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