Practicing Peace Through Gratitude
Deepening Our Understanding of Peace
And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one body. And be thankful.
-Colossians 3:15
This time of year, it is especially easy to focus on what we feel is lacking in our lives. This can be especially true if we are facing a new challenge for the first time this holiday season.
This sense that something is missing in our lives is also more common during the holidays because, thanks to social media, it can look like everyone else’s life is perfect. Everyone else has more than enough money and time to buy all the presents they want, an exciting array of social invitations to holiday gatherings, and has what looks like the perfect friends and family. The often-false front of social media can cause us to feel like we are the only ones who are struggling.
The passage from Colossians reminds us that authentic peace and happiness do not come from material possessions or perfect friends and families (as if these existed), but rather they come from allowing the peace of Christ to rule in our hearts. The passage goes on to add that gratitude is also an essential component of peace. To be at peace enhances our capacity to be thankful for what we already have, however imperfect it may be. And the practice of gratitude increases our capacity to be at peace.
Making it Personal: Reread the passage from Colossians and note your thoughts and reactions. What do you think about the connection between peace and gratitude? Feelings of not having enough are not uncommon this time of year. To counteract these feelings, pause and reflect on what you are genuinely grateful for in your life right now. You might even want to make a list and keep it with you throughout Advent.