The Fifth Gift Of Christmas - He Makes Me Down To Lie

 The Fifth Gift Of Christmas - He Makes Me Down To Lie

 “God blesses those who work for peace, for they will be called the children of God.” Matthew 5:9 NLT

We are living in a world that is filled with conflicts - between nations, between communities, within families and even within ourselves. At Christmas we proclaim Jesus Christ as our newborn King, mild and merciful who will bring peace of earth and reconcile sinners with God. We hail Jesus as our heaven born Prince of Peace, the Sun of Righteousness with healing in his wings who was born to give us second birth and that man no more may die. But the seed of God’s love cannot bear fruit when our hearts are filled with the stones of pride.

Jesus is our Shepherd of Love who leads us to rest in green pastures and beside still waters - to confront and confess our pride so that we can be peacemakers. We are not called to work for peace in order to become children of God. We cannot be peacemakers when pride keeps us from having peace in our hearts and from peace with God. We need the discipline of contemplation to be more conscious of our pride and our need for peace with God. It is only when we are the children of God that we can bring peace to our world - peace with God, peace with one another and peace within ourselves - to build bridges and to break down walls.