With so many family gatherings during the holiday season, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed this time of year by the onslaught of potential challenges.

But in 2 Thessalonians 3:16, God’s word is incredibly encouraging in this matter. It says “May the Master of Peace himself give you the gift of getting along with each other at all times, in all ways. May the Master be truly among you!”

From this verse, we don’t just learn of yet another name God calls himself, but we see a characteristic of God’s nature, able to be used by his children at will. The key, I believe, to a successful holiday season is to let the Master of Peace be just that, the Master of your holiday season in all aspects. This includes you, your time, energy, resources, family members, and anything else contributing to your well-being during this time.

We also see here in this verse that getting along with others is a GIFT that God designed specifically for you and me. Alike any good gift from the father, it is a perfect gift, needing nothing added to it for full enjoyment. The catch? We must open our hearts and minds to receive this gift, and use our faith to believe that it is working, even at the onslaught of family feuds, recipe disasters, burnt biscuits, screaming kids, barking dogs, and green bean casserole. (No offense if you enjoy casserole.)

Lastly, I love that Paul, the writer of Thessalonians, prayed that the Master of Peace would bless us with the gift of peace “at all times, in all ways.” This debunks the idea that your family issues are beyond a peaceful gathering. I believe that God’s impression upon Paul as he wrote this verse included God’s full understanding of every moment in history that would require his peace, and yet he still uses Paul to say “…at all times, in all ways”. Why? Because the peace that God offers is beyond our human comprehension. That means that “all times” includes our very loud, unorthodox version of family gatherings, and takes into consideration every personality, uncomfortable conversation, and even the debacle of uninvited guests.

At those very real moments when anxiety is bound to peak its ugly head, remember to invite the Master of Peace in, letting him control your thoughts, your words, and your atmosphere. It’s at that moment when the most important guest is sitting at the table, that peace can flow, offering all of its bountiful benefits right along with it.

A Prayer For Peace This Holiday Season:
Father, first and foremost, thank you for your living word, which gives us the roadmap for every season we face in life. We thank you for being our Master of Peace at all times, and we invite you into our hearts, minds, and homes this beautiful season. We acknowledge you as our Lord and Savior and we debunk any lie of the enemy that we will never have a peaceful holiday season with the people you have called us to love and serve. We love you and are eternally grateful for your gift of peace flowing through us at all times and in all ways.

Love, Your Precious Daughter (or son),
Amen

Written by Jae Teague,

Editor and Chief of the She Talks Life Magazine