You probably know what happened that first Christmas night: Angels suddenly appeared to a group of humble shepherds, telling them the long-expected Savior of the world had been born in the nearby town of Bethlehem. But they not only announced His birth; they also promised that He would bring peace to our troubled world (see Luke 2:8-14).

Why hasn’t this happened? Were the angels wrong? No, not at all, because whenever we open our hearts and lives to Christ, God gives us peace –peace with God, peace with others, and peace in our hearts. And if everyone on earth truly followed Jesus and lived the way He taught us to live, then we’d know what it means to live in a world of peace.

But this hasn’t happened because we’ve turned our backs on God and chosen to go our own way. The fault isn’t God’s, but ours, because we’ve run our own lives and left God out of the picture. Instead of love, justice and peace, we allow hate, corruption and violence to rule our hearts. The Bible says, “In all his thoughts there is no room for God” (Psalm 10:4).

Lasting peace will never come until Christ returns to establish His kingdom of perfect righteousness and justice. Until then, we are called to pray and work for peace. Above all, however, this Christmas open your heart and life to Christ’s peace. His promise is true: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you” (John 14:27).

Find peace with God today.