Peace Which Makes No Sense, December 14
By Karen Tripp
Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace.…” (Luke 2:13-14a NIV).
You never imagined having a Christmas invaded by cancer, and yet here you are. When you were diagnosed, they told you how long the treatments would last, but maybe you didn’t realize that you’d be dealing with the mess of cancer past Thanksgiving, through Christmas and even into the New Year. I bet you are ready to just be done.
The holidays are always busy with shopping, cooking and such. You might think at times how you used to grumble about these things every year. But this year, cancer is in the way. Instead of making lists of gifts to buy or people to see, you’re staring at your calendar filled with medical appointments. Ugh.
You need some peace. Some good ole’ fashioned Christmas peace.
On the night Jesus was born, there were a bunch of shepherds on the hills around the small town of Bethlehem watching their sheep, when an angel appeared and told them where to find the baby who is the Savior of the World. If that wasn’t enough to blow their minds, today’s verse tells us that an angel army appears before these shepherds shouting praise about what God has done, giving mankind this gift—His Son Jesus. “And on earth peace….” This must be some kind of peace!
So, let’s think about this peace, this Christmas peace. Is this something that was only available one night only? Kind of like a special deal for the Son of God’s birthday? Or is this peace something available to each of us to push back the dark stuff that can come in our life—stuff like cancer?
The Greek word for peace that the angels used that night is the same word the Apostle Paul uses in the book of Philippians when he says, “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7 NIV).
Transcending understanding means that you will experience this peace at times that it does not make any sense for you to be experiencing peace.
Cancer has lots of situations when there is nothing peaceful about the situation, AND YET God brings you peace.
· God’s peace despite a positive biopsy.
· God’s peace despite a loved one ignoring you.
· God’s peace despite the continuous waiting and not knowing.
But look at the rest of the verse: the peace of God will guard your heart and your mind. In the Bible there are words that are symbolic for bigger meanings, like the words “heart” and “mind.
· Heart = feelings
· Mind = thoughts
As you are dealing with the struggles of cancer, does it ever feel like your feelings and your thoughts can get out of control? Wouldn’t it be nice to have God send some peace that can guard your thoughts and your feelings so that they do not run rampant?
Let’s end this time today by lifting up a prayer asking for this peace that we cannot understand, but need so very much.
Pray: God, You know. You know where each cancer cell is in my body. You know of my fatigue and my aches. You know my worries and concerns. So Lord, please shower me in Your peace, so that I may feel calm even though cancer is hard. Guard my feelings and my thoughts so that I can think clearly, care for others clearly and see You clearly. In Your precious Son Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
Your Turn: Make a list of times and ways that God's peace has covered you on your cancer journey. Praise Him for His peace as you listen to the words of Hillsong Worship’s "Peace Has Come": "Sing come let us adore Him, peace has come, for our King is with us."
Karen Tripp, MS, LMFT, Cancer Caregiver
Karen is the Executive Director of Cancer Companions, the premiere national Christian cancer ministry (https://www.cancercompanion.org). Her roles have included authoring several Christian books including God is Bigger Than Your Cancer and working as a licensed marriage and family therapist. She is a daughter of a colon cancer survivor. Karen uses her experience to teach how to step into another person’s struggle to help build their faith while strengthening your own.
Cancer Companion’s vision for the future is for every person impacted by cancer to know the hope, love, and grace of Jesus and that every oncology team has included faith in their treatment toolbox. By 2033, Cancer Companions will provide 5 million engagements through cancer prayers, scriptures and interactions to those impacted by cancer. Engagements include; social media outreach, e-newsletters, prayer team requests, 30 days of Cancer Prayer event, and volunteer connections.
To learn more about our ministry and the services we provide visit our website by clicking here.
