Peace
By Cameron Gausman - Co-Interim Student Minister

Peace is a term that seems to be elusive this time of year. This time of the year, there is a lot of stress and pressure to get everything right. The right amount of gifts for everyone, all the Christmas celebrations that you have to attend, all the planning that comes along with Christmas, and everything has to be perfect. “Peace on earth” is something we sing a lot about in our songs during Christmas time. Peace is a theme for Christmas, yet the Christmas season seems to be everything but peaceful. I was thinking about all the stress that the Christmas season has brought on me and I was reminded of a verse.
John 16:33 says “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.”
I was reminded that I have let this season become too much of what the world thinks Christmas is about. I had become too caught up in the material things about Christmas, like making sure I get my fiancé and family the perfect gifts, making sure that all the planning and scheduling is all done perfectly, and I had let these things become my Christmas and peace did not come with it.
But like it’s says in John, when we put down the worldly things and the chaos that it comes with and look to Jesus that’s when we find peace. That’s the real peace we sing about! That’s the peace that the Christmas season is all about!
Merry Christmas,
Cameron