3 minute read
It’s Christmastime… time for George Bailey and Rudolph and Frosty and John McClane (sure) and Tannenbaums and Macy’s and… of course… baby Jesus and Mary and shepherds and angels.
Shortly after Jesus is born to a virgin girl in an animal stall out behind an inn…
An angel appears to a group of shepherds.
These swarthy, filthy, unclean shepherds are out watching sheep in a field when, suddenly, a giant, massive, powerful angel appears to them.
The angel says…
Don’t fear! I’m bringing you good news! The savior of the world is born in Bethlehem, the city of David! You’ll find this baby wrapped in strips of cloths and lying in a manger where animals eat.
Then, more angels gathered with the first angel and started singing (what I imagine was) a really loud song of worship—
Glory to God in the highest… and on earth, peace on humans on whom God’s favor rests.
What did the shepherds do after they heard this?
They left. They left behind the field, the sheep, their jobs.
And they went to see what the angels had told them all about.
They heard something from God… and then… they went looking for it.
*****
Last week I talked about how I asked God a very simple question: “What are you growing in me right now?”
And I got an answer.
God’s answer to me was… PEACE.
Peace.
Calm, internal rest, tranquility… shalom.
A pretty good answer, right?
Who wouldn’t want peace?
We all want peace.
So, when I heard what God told me He was wanting to grow in this season, I got excited…
But it left me with a choice: how was I to respond to this?
I could’ve gone: “Eh. Okay. Whatever.
Or I could’ve said: “Fine. Great. Lay it on me,” and then just waited.
But it’s been my experience that when God communicates something to me, the best response is to open my eyes and go LOOKING for places where He is growing that thing.
*****
So, in the last week, I started looking at as many moments as I can in a way to see how God could use it to either show me what peace is like… or grow peace in me.
Standing in a line for coffee, frustrated with the lady at the front taking her sweet time with the cashier, oblivious at the long line behind her… I realized it was a good time to get my heart quiet, listen to God, not look at my phone… and walk toward peace.
Rattled by a work assignment that seemed to be eating my lunch… Instead of lurching forward and diving in to fix it myself… maybe focus on the peace God could give me before I even started in.
Wondering how the future is going to play out… concerned about coming events… thinking hard about what I’m going to do and when? Best to calm down… stop… and seek out peace.
I definitely didn’t get it right every time…
But I found it was good to at least LOOK for places where the peace might either be… or how God could train it up in me.
Shepherds heard from God and went looking…
I want to be the same way. I want to be like a shepherd.
*****
How are you at this?
Have you heard something God wants to grow in you?
How can you pause all throughout your day, seeing situations and events and even challenges as opportunities for God to train that good thing within you?
Personally, I’ve found that when I go looking for what He wants for me… eventually it grows… and I find it.