On Christmas day, we commemorate the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. The preceding weeks are filled with the sights and sounds of the season. We see multi-colored lights, hear joyful music, and experience a greater sense of brother- and sisterhood in our families and neighborhoods. The whole world seems to be abuzz with goodwill and charity. These things are designed to remind us of the Person at the center of it all—Jesus of Nazareth.
Despite the seasonal euphoria we typically experience at this time of year, we are often vividly reminded that we live in an increasingly turbulent world. We witness national or worldwide events bringing insecurity and fear to many. On a personal level, some of us experience pain due to physical, mental, or emotional illness or trauma. Others feel heartache and heartbreak due to a personal loss. The Christmas season, with all of its inherent joy and gladness, is undoubtedly not immune to any or all of these painful realities.
As I consider this ever-present turbulence at this sacred time when we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, a scripture from the Old Testament comes to my mind. Hundreds of years before our Savior’s birth, Isaiah prophesied the Messiah's significant roles in a chaotic world. He said,
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end" (Isaiah 9:6-7, emphasis added).
This Christmas, Jesus' sacred title “Prince of Peace” is worth considering.
What is Jesus' peace?
During the last supper with His apostles, Jesus spoke of the peace He would bring to the world. Said He, “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (John 14:27, emphasis added). Clearly, His peace was to be different from the peace the world would offer his disciples around them.
What, then, is His peace? I might suggest that His peace will not always mean the end of all our worries, troubles, pains, afflictions, or problems. Jesus regularly taught that His disciples would enter the “strait” gate, which means the entrance to a narrow, constricted, or dangerous path. We should not be surprised that, as His disciples, we will continue to experience trouble in this mortal life.
So, if our difficulties do not end in this life when we believe in and follow Jesus, how will His peace prevent us from being troubled or afraid?
His peace is a calm assurance amid trials and heartaches. It is a still mind when troubles or worries loom. It is bold forbearance during attacks or criticisms. His peace is miraculous because it comes despite our problems, not instead of them. As the apostle Paul taught the Philippians, “The peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7).
The peace from Jesus through His Holy Spirit expresses His love and concern for us. He does not relish our pain, but He understands that our eternal potential as sons and daughters of God can ultimately be realized through adversity. When we feel that miraculous peace as it settles upon us, we can know that He loves us and is watching out for us amid our difficulties.
The angelic hosts who announced Jesus' birth prophesied the peace He would bring into the world. In a celebratory cry, they exclaimed, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men” (Luke 2:8-14, emphasis added).
This season, when we celebrate the birth of the Prince of Peace, we can regularly feel the Savior’s unique, abiding peace, which those angelic hosts exclaimed. I would suggest three things each of us can do to find and enjoy the Savior’s peace: (1) Have faith, (2) Do good, and (3) Wait patiently.
Have faith
To spiritually grow, we must have faith, a principle by which we act even when we do not have all the answers or cannot clearly see the road ahead. Thus, by its very nature, faith is constantly being tested in mortality.
The original twelve apostles had one of these defining moments that tested their faith. Amid a terrible storm, they feared that their boat would capsize and they would be lost. The Master was aboard, but He was sleeping.
Full of fear, they awoke Him, crying, “Master, carest not that we perish?” We then read, “And [Jesus] arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.
“And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? How is it that ye have no faith?
“And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?” (Mark 4:38-41)
These disciples learned that fear quenches faith. They also learned that when the Master is with us, He can bring peace and stillness, even amidst the storms of life—if we have faith in Him. As Paul said, “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” (2 Timothy 1:7).
May we move forward in faith, even at the darkest and most trying moments. Then peace will come, even if the storm does not subside how or when we would like.
Do good
The Psalmist admonished his readers, “Do good; seek peace” (Psalms 34:14). Isaiah likewise taught, “The work of righteousness shall be peace, and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever” (Isaiah 32:17).
Doing good is a natural outgrowth of our faith in Jesus Christ. As His disciples, we seek to emulate Him in our thoughts, in our words, and in our deeds. Like our divine exemplar, we go about “doing good” (Acts 10:38). And doing good brings us peace.
What is the good that we can do?
We can contribute to our community and to the world around us. There are so many good and upright causes that we can help and participate in. We can join with other good and decent people of all faiths in making the world a better place.
I know of a man whose young daughters create and sell origami and use those funds to bring clean water to parts of the world that do not have it. I know another man, a retired engineer, who invented playground equipment that generates electricity to charge battery-powered lights so that children in Africa can study at night. Certainly, there is much good that can be done in the world.
We can also serve and minister to others directly. By seeking out those in need and then lifting the “hands which hang down” (D&C 81:5) and strengthening the “feeble knees” (Isaiah 35:3), we bring peace and comfort into the lives of those immediately around us. We can be ministers of peace, even if our hands are weak and our knees seem shaky.
We should “be not weary in well-doing, for [we] are laying the foundation of a great work. [For] out of small things proceedeth that [peace] which is great” (Doctrine and Covenants 64:33, text added).
May we always seek to do good in all we think, do, and say.
Wait patiently
As failing humans, we are generally not very patient. We want blessings to come now, peace to reign immediately, and troubles to end quickly. Unfortunately, this outcome is not always given to us. The Lord, even with His infinite power and wisdom, cannot violate agency and will only do things that are in His will and plan for us.
So, to have peace before issues are resolved, we must wait patiently. Waiting does not mean sitting idly by. It means “press[ing] forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope” (2 Nephi 31:20). It means enduring to the end.
What is the end? It might be the end of our troubles. It may be the end of our lives. Most of the time, it means the end of our rope. When that particular end comes, tie a knot and hang on! Seek the enabling power of the atonement to strengthen you, for through Him, you can have greater strength and stamina than you could ever have by yourself.
If you wait patiently, Isaiah’s promise will be fulfilled. Said he, “They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint” (Isa. 40:31, text added.
May you wait patiently, continuing in faith and goodness, until He blesses you.
My miracle of peace
Early in my career, my company experienced a significant downturn. Because of financial difficulties, we heard management would be laying off a portion of our workforce.
I was a father of young children, and I worried that I would lose my job and my ability to provide for my family. Early one morning, as I sat at my office desk at home, I contemplated what was happening at work. Looking at the tree in my yard outside my office window, I noticed a bird landing on a branch.
These words came to my mind, "Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?" (Matthew 6:26). That passage gave me peace. I knew that if God would take care of the birds, He would take care of me.
So, I went forward in faith, doing good and patiently waiting on the Lord's will for our family. As I did, my burdens seemed a little lighter, even though my situation did not change.
Eventually, I found out that I would not lose my job at that time. The peace came before I knew whether I had a job. Learning how to gain this peace not only helped me then, but it also helped me more than a decade later when I lost my job.
Peace came from focusing on Jesus, who sustained me through the good and the bad times.
Lift a standard of peace
Whether your miracle occurs now or on some undefined future day, it will come as you seek Jesus like the shepherds and wise men.
When you find it, I invite you to “lift a standard of peace” (Doctrine and Covenants 98:34) for others now and throughout the rest of the year.
May you always remember that this standard is Jesus the Christ, the Prince of Peace.
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