“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom His favor rests”
(Luke 2:14).

As many people on earth are turning their eyes and activities towards Christmas, we often hear the angelic phrase “peace on earth and goodwill to men.” But what about peace in our homes? Are you experiencing peace within your home — at least pockets of peace, if not more? The Bible says,

“Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it” (Psalm 34:14). “There is deceit in the hearts of those who plot evil, but joy for those who promote peace” (Proverbs 12:20). “Better a dry crust with peace and quiet than a house full of feasting with strife” (Proverbs 17:1). “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law” (Galatians 5:22-23).

“Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.” (Hebrews 12:14). “Whoever would love life and see good days must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from deceitful speech. He must turn from evil and do good; he must seek peace and pursue it” (1 Peter 3:10-11).

So, in the pursuit of peaceful moments this Christmas season, we would like to share with you a few tips that we pray will help:

• “The holidays can be especially stressful. The expectations are high, the demands unrelenting, and the pressure ever-building. When there seems to be no way to alleviate the pressure, a change in our outlook is the secret to making the holidays more than just an anxiety-inducing frenzy of greedy kids, visiting family members, and never-ending church activities.” (Keryn Horwood, “5 Secrets to Reducing Holiday Stress” posted on Justbetweenus.org)

• “Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:5-7).

• “Many people have unrealistic expectations about the holidays that are promoted by the media showing extravagant presents underneath the tree being opened by families looking ecstatic about their perfect gifts. What cameras don’t capture are the worried faces of the people wondering how they are going to pay off the debt when they get their credit card bills in the mail.It is important to remember what really matters. Do not confuse giving love with giving gifts. Although gifts can be an expression of your love, so are your time, your affection, your words of affirmation, and your willingness to forgive an offense. Decide on a budget and invite someone to hold you accountable for keeping it.” (Deborah Tyrell, from the article “Thoughts for the Holidays” posted on Newlife.com)

• “If you habitually come away from a Christmas family get-together feeling bad, then look at ways that you can make a difference to someone outside your family this Christmas. Our cities and towns abound with lonely people. Find time to reach out to them and offer them something of yourself this Christmas. It may be a small inexpensive gift, a card they wouldn’t otherwise receive, a visit, a meal. By looking outward at the greater world, you won’t get caught up so much in your own family world.” (”Coping with Christmas” by Beth McHugh, posted on Families.com)

• “Everyone knows the spirit of Christmas is giving. But the best gifts are often ones you can’t wrap in paper. They are gifts of service — where we offer our time, our talents, our connections, our ideas, or our energy to serve those in need around us. Let me encourage you to do simple acts of kindness during this season. The end of the year is a hectic time, and everyone can use a helping hand at some point. It might be running an errand, picking up a package, offering to baby sit, loaning some decorations, making phone calls for your church, or taking a meal to someone who is housebound.” (”Purpose Driven Christmas” by Rick Warren, posted on Justbetweenus.org)

• “I’ve declared this Christmas the ‘Christmas of my First Love’ where I will help my family shift our focus from the mall to the manger. The manger is quiet and less crowded. It’s a place where children are always welcome. Spending time here will help our family to keep our eyes and hearts fully focused on Jesus.” (”From the Mall to the Manger: Returning Faith to the Forefront of Christmas” by Jim Burns and Leslie Snyder, posted on Homeword.com)

• “This year, when you’re planning your gathering of family and friends, I urge you to set aside a ‘fellowship’ time when everyone can sit in a circle and take turns really listening to one another. Ask these questions: ‘What were you most thankful for this past year? What have you learned from the past year? How would you like to grow next year?’ If you take the time for authentic fellowship with your family and friends, I guarantee that everyone will remember it far longer than if you merely socialize with them.” (Rick Warren, “Purpose Driven Christmas” posted on Justbetweenus.org)

• “You do not have to go to a party just because you were invited to it. Be a good steward of your time and energy. Even Jesus, the Son of God knew He had to retreat from the clamor of the crowds for quiet times with His Father to renew His strength. Pace yourself and find the balance between togetherness and separateness.” (Deborah Tyrell, “Thoughts for the Holidays” posted on Newlife.com)

• “Accepting others as they are can be the biggest gift you give yourself. Holidays can be stressful because we’re often with people who are difficult to be around. You don’t have to approve or like what your family members do. But you do need to show love and grace to them.

“Dr Minirth, a noted Christian psychiatrist, warns that this is also not the time to try to fix your family. You can have a personal goal of showing love and peace to a difficult family member, however. There are 364 other days of the year to address other problems.” (Keryn Horwood, “5 Secrets of Reducing Holiday Stress” posted on Justbetweenus.org)

• “A New command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another”(John 13:32-35). “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone”(Romans 12:18).

• “Deal with criticism wisely. Before you react, consider the source. …Some people make comments to be hurtful, or to make themselves feel better about their shortcomings. They may also be unaware of how they present themselves. I tell my clients these people cannot be avoided, so be ready with an invisible Teflon shield. We can defend ourselves by not absorbing the comment, and simply letting it go.” (Keryn Horwood, “5 Secrets to Reducing Holiday Stress” posted on Justbetweenus.org)

• “Better a patient man than a warrior; a man who controls his temper than one who takes a city” (Proverbs 16:32). “A man’s wisdom gives him patience; it is to his glory to overlook an offense” (Proverbs 19:11). “Even a fool is thought wise if he keeps silent, and discerning if he holds his tongue” (Proverbs 17:28).

We’d like to share with you some final thoughts that we pray will help you in your marriage, in your home, or wherever you are this Christmas season. We realize that some of you will be with a lot of people, and some of you will be with a few. Some of you will be lonely (even in your marriage) and some of you will be going through some very painful times. For those of you who find yourselves in these situations, we grieve with you and pray God will make Himself very real to you.

We’d like to close with something written by Deborah Tyrell, from the article “Thoughts for the Holidays” posted on Newlife.com, which expresses our hearts also:

“It helps to remember that all of us are part of broken humanity in need of God’s redemptive love. And sorrow is part of living, even in the midst of the season to be jolly. My [our] prayer for those who struggle during this holiday season with loneliness or sorrow, is that you will find God’s peace, comfort and hope in the midst of your pain. And that as you press into the presence of God, the power of the Most High will overshadow you, and the Christ Child will be birthed in your heart revealing to the world His unfailing love and faithfulness.”

“May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing His will, and may He work in us what is pleasing to Him, through Jesus Christ to whom be the glory for ever and ever.” (Hebrews 13:20-21)

Cindy and Steve Wright

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