People might think that peace is an unattainable dream, but Pastor Rick Warren of Saddleback Church said it's actually a free gift from God that anybody can receive this Christmas.
"You may have had a good year. You may have had a bad year. But as we come to the end of 2016, you're likely pretty tired. You're worn out physically, mentally, and spiritually," he wrote on his website. "There's hope! God doesn't want you to go through another year without His peace."
Warren said there are three different kinds of peace God wants His children to experience. The first of these is peace with God. "This is spiritual peace — and it's the most important," he shared.
Peace with God affects everything else. If people live disconnected with God, then Warren said there won't be any peace. "Peace with God doesn't come from something we do. Peace with God comes from what Jesus Christ did for us on the cross. God wants to give you that important peace this Christmas season," he said.
Next, Warren said God wants people to enjoy peace within. The Bible calls this emotional peace and the peace of God. There are over 790 verses about the peace of God in Scripture, the pastor said. For people suffering from a broken heart, God offers comforting peace. For those with a confused heart, God gives guiding peace. God also has forgiving peace for a shamed heart, and confident peace for a worried heart.
Lastly, God wants people to enjoy peace with others as well. However, the only way people can attain this is if they attain peace with God first. "The further we are from God, the more our relationships with others are messed up. If you want to strengthen your relationship with others — like your spouse or your kids — strengthen your relationship with God. It'll pull you together," he guaranteed.
