Theme:   All I Want for Christmas is Peace

This eDevotional was written by a volunteer from Timberlake Church. 

Read: Luke 1:26-38

Think: Dave Nelson talked to us over the weekend about peace and how to accept it from God. Mary, a young unmarried girl when visited by an angel accepted what she was told would happen to her. That she would have a child. I imagine she did what we now call ‘freaked out’ a little first. We all do in some way don’t we? When God gives us a job to do or a situation to handle, inside, the imperfect part of us panics and tries to either fix it ourselves or find a way out of it. We see ourselves as not good enough to do that job or not brave enough to cope or not having the skills necessary... But God sees our potential.

When I was younger and my parents were looking for a home, we walked into a rundown house in the middle of nowhere. It had graffiti on the walls, most of the windows missing and made my mother walk out immediately. My father though, stood looking around and said ‘It has potential!’

That became a phrase used in my family for anything beyond hope. Looking around the world today I see that phrase fits with each of us. We see the things wrong with our lives, the situation or obstacles that prevent the best from happening. God takes a look around and really sees the potential in our lives. He doesn’t need us to be perfect or handle things as well as we’d like, we just have to be willing for Him to work and give Him control.

Mary shows us that we need not be perfect but willing. If we then allow God to be in control then we will find peace as Mary did.

Do:  Think about an area of your life where God should be in control or has asked you to make a change and accept His control. What do you need to stop focusing on so that you can focus on the potential God sees and let God have control?

Pray: Lord, thank you that you not only see our issues but you see our potential. We are grateful you still choose to work through us. Please give us the strength to step aside and let You work in Your own perfect way. Amen.