You Can't Receive What You Will Not Give.

 

"...there is a future for the man of peace." Psalm 37:37

​ In the early morning of Christmas morning, 1914, allied troops were weary from battle, and the brutal cold hunkered below the frozen earth in human-made ravines. There, they tried to avoid being in the sight of the enemy and gain a few hours of much-needed rest. As they listened, the familiar sounds of the night began to give way to the morning. That day was remarkably different. Though the frosty air was filled with the sounds of the wind and trees rustling and the fluttering of branches as creatures descended to the ground in search of food, all these breaks of dawn sounds, well-known and even comforting, were replaced as music filled up the otherwise dark quiet place. It was the sound of a familiar tune sung in the enemy's native tongue.

The words of the song "Silent Night." became more recognizable as the infantrymen, with some reservation, cautiously raised their heads above the openings of the damp, cold trenches they called home. Caught by surprise and puzzled that singing would be on the minds of such men, the enemies were indeed singing! Just a few hours earlier, both sides had been no strangers to the cruelty and inhumaneness of the war they had been called to fight. They had witnessed the bloodiness of battle and felt the driving force within themselves to kill before being killed. Many had said goodbye to their comrades just hours earlier.

Why Singing? It just did not make sense. With cautious movement, still attempting to be unnoticed, the hidden soldiers quietly crawled out of their hiding spaces, half wondering if this was a trick of the enemy. With slow movements, one by one, they stood upright and ready to react at a moment's notice. In a matter of seconds, it was apparent this happening, though unwarranted by the leaders of both sides, was going to occur anyway. Just a day, the soldiers laid down their weapons for a brief time and agreed to an unauthorized truce. They sang, ate, and even played together that day. They extended a most unusual gift to each other, the gift of peace. For a day, time stood still; fire ceased, and the men somehow saw each other's humanity across the lines of their differences. All were sharing war experiences and identifying with life's pain, misery, and uncertainty. Supposedly, a day like this never came again. Still, a story such as this reminds us of the importance of calling a truce on our differences and personal battles to experience the power of this gift.

Peace. The desire for it keeps us awake at night and slips through our fingers at the most inopportune times. We return to the battlefields of our body, soul, and spirit armed with an arsenal of personal artillery to attack our perceived enemies, otherwise known as our family members, spouses, finances, state of health, and job challenges. Often unaware and off guard, the distant music draws us to the tune of a wayward commander, the enemy who desires to rob us of peace. He will ruthlessly and relentlessly pursue us, delighting at the war he wages within our souls. The trickery he uses to watch us tirelessly fight people or situations we have misidentified as enemies is brutal to our spirits. He never calls a truce but waits and watches until we are powerless, defeated, and without hope. Then he takes our peace.

Throughout scripture, the importance of peace in our lives is evident. How do we move from a desire for peace to the ability to grasp it while living in such a complicated, conflicting world?

Three Simply Certain Ways to Find Peace

1. Focus on commonality with your enemy, not what separates you. One thing that crosses the barriers of age, culture, status, or belief system is the struggle. Identify with others based on the fact that we all struggle and work from that commonality to build trust and relationships, which open the door to the gospel of Christ, which brings eternal peace.

Carry each other's burdens; this way, you will fulfill the law of Christ. Galatians 6:2 NIV

​2. Fight the right enemy. Often, we are misled and fight the wrong culprit. In short, the person you loathe is not your real problem.

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Ephesians 6:12 ESV

3. Forgive. Remember how much Christ has forgiven you and do likewise. Simply put, you can't receive what you won't give.

Bear with each other and forgive your grievances against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. Colossians 3:13 NIV

History.com Staff. "Christmas Truce of 1914." History.com. A&E Television Networks, 2009. Web. 31 May 2018.