Peace and joy.
Add in “love” and the three words can be found displayed on practically every Christmas card.
Christian or secular that is.
Alongside these words, you may see the word “believe”.
As if believing in a holiday can bring these great attributes into an American’s troubled life for a short season.
For a Christian, we celebrate the birth of Christ, but we know (hopefully) that we are saved by believing in the Gospel accomplished at the end of His Earthly ministry.
Certainly, it is by believing in this that we ascertain joy and peace.
In Romans 15:13 Paul explains that,
“Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.”
In believing, God himself fills us with all joy and peace!
Therefore, the cheesy Hallmark cards do not have it wrong necessarily, they just need to point a little further to the God who is in Heaven!
For those who are math orientated, I have even noticed that the Bible made a bit of a formula.
Believing = (Joy and Peace)Hope
Notice, how hope is tacked to the end of the formula?
Whereas experiencing the rest of the formula allows hope to abound and be multiplied within our life!
Hope from our past, hope for today, and hope that ushers us into eternity.
Because after all, “hope maketh not ashamed” (Romans 5:5).
I hope this was an encouraging word.
Merry Christmas.
God bless!
Thank you for your encouraging words!