How to Find Real Peace This Christmas (Part 1)
By Rick Warren
“I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people” (Ephesians 1:18 NIV).
You’ll hear the word “peace” used all the time during the Christmas season. It’s a powerful word, in part because it’s something all of us want. We long for peace — peace with God, peace within, and peace with others.
And here’s the good news of Christmas: Jesus came to Earth to give us all three. How do we get this kind of peace?
It starts with Jesus.
How do you find peace like this? The Bible gives us three steps. We’ll look at these three steps over the next few days.
First, you need a moment of clarity.
It’s a life-changing experience that changes you forever. You’re never the same afterward. All of a sudden, you see God as he really is, not as you were brought up to believe he was. You also see yourself as you really are, not as you think you are. You see other people as they really are instead of how you’ve been told they were. You see your problems clearly. You see your past, present, and future clearly.
Christmas is a great time to get that moment of clarity.
Every person in the first Christmas story had such a moment of clarity.
● Joseph had a dream, and suddenly everything made sense.
● The wise men had a moment of clarity while staring at the stars.
● Mary had a moment of clarity when she understood God’s Word spoken to her.
● The shepherds had a moment of clarity when they experienced a miracle and decided to visit baby Jesus.
● Elizabeth had a moment of clarity through her friend, Mary.
Paul writes about a moment of clarity in Ephesians 1:18: “I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people” (NIV).
God knows everything about you; you know almost nothing about God. You need a moment of clarity to see what he sees.
Until that happens, you’re not going to have peace in your life. It just isn’t going to happen.
The Christmas story shows us that God is actively working to give you a moment of clarity. Watch for God this Christmas!
Play today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick >>
Talk It Over
- Why do you think peace is talked about so much during the Christmas season but rarely achieved?
- Why is it so hard to see yourself and God truthfully without a God-given moment of clarity?
- If you’ve experienced that moment of clarity in your life, who can you share that experience with this week?
For more Daily Hope with Rick Warren, please visit pastorrick.com!
The Most Requested Rick Warren Sermons - Vol. 3
Do you want to experience a joy filled Christian life? If you do, then it’s essential to anchor your life in the wisdom of God’s Word. That’s why we’ve assembled a very special 6 CD collection of Pastor Rick’s most requested teachings. Many people have shared that these messages have inspired them spiritually and also helped them in very practical ways. You’ll want to listen to these teachings again and again and share them with your family members and friends.
This devotional © 2016 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
You can also listen to Rick Warren on OnePlace.com.