Part of what set me up to make the poorest decisions in my life was buying into the lie of “peace at any price.” I learned, and quite painfully, that there is no such thing because it really is not peace and we pay way too high a price.
And yet I still believe in and crave peace. I avoid conflict whenever I can. But I am not a pacifist. I am a peacemaker.
When the angel chorus delivered their message to the shepherds, they sang of peace on earth. And the crowd heard a very different message than what God intended. They took it to mean an end to strife and hardship and oppressive rule.
God had something very different in mind. Paul tried to clear up the confusion in his letter to the church at Ephesus. He wrote: “For he himself is our peace, who made both groups into one, broke down the barrier of the dividing wall…that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace.” (Ephesians 2:14, NASB.)
There were so many divisions between the people. The mission of Christmas is to heal those separations. God wanted peace not pieces. God wanted to bring his people back together and back to him.
Will you take some time to examine what divides your heart, what separates you from others, what keeps you from God.
His gift for you is peace: wholeness in life, not pieces formed by divisions.
Today I want to close with my favorite Christmas song and a prayer that God will heal the brokenness that divides so you will know peace.
Pot of Manna 
Dear Tina, I was reading your blog while Dan was listening to a song that our minister wants him to sing this Sunday. He asked me if I had ever heard this song and I told him that I had not. I loved your writing today so I printed it for Dan to share with the band at practice tonight. After I printed it I opened up the video to your favorite song. In a huge God wink it is the same song that Dan was listening to! God is good all the time and all the time God is good. Love you and thank you for blessing us with your advent devotionals.
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Vicki! I love God-winks. I wish I could hear Dan sing this. Praying it will be a blessing. Thanks for reading. Many blessings to you both!
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