We live in a time that’s been called the “already and not yet.” The kingdom of God is alive and well in the world, and yet the full realization of all we have in Jesus has not come to be. This world is not at peace. There are conflicts all over the globe. But we who know Jesus can live with the peace of God ruling in our hearts because of our relationship with Him—the Prince of Peace.

Peace is so much more than the absence of fighting. It is a settled state of wellbeing, harmony, and wholeness. It is the people of God working in unity. It is a life marked by trust in God, not a life ruled by anger, worry, anxiety, and stress. Peace, or Shalom, is living life with complete confidence in God’s good plan and His love for us, not living in fear of what God might do to us.

Peace is also living with the understanding that pain is not evidence of God leaving us but of the fulfillment of John 16:33, Jesus’ promise that in this world we will experience tribulation. Yet even in our suffering, we know that God has overcome this world and the sin and death that causes us grief.

If we are living with the peace of God in our life, we will trust our kids to God and allow Him to do what is necessary to draw them to Himself. We will live in unity with others with a heart of gentleness, kindness, and justice for the oppressed. We will strive to live pure lives apart from sin and full of empathy and compassion. We will live in community with fellow believers, but also with those who do not know Jesus. We will live in harmony with all men, not with haughty superiority, but with humility.

When the darkness of this world grows, so also must the light and love of Jesus that is in us. We must be the hands and feet of Jesus spreading the good news of God’s peace to all who will hear it. This is what it means to have a Merry Christmas.