Advent: Prince of Peace

“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.”Isaiah 9:6

I am busy.

I am probably too busy.

And honestly, in my heart of hearts, I know that I am too busy.

But…somehow…I wear my busyness as a badge of honor. When people ask me how I am, I seem to always answer, “busy.” And there is a sense of pride, in me, to be honest, because I know that I am busy at Kingdom-building work: I teach at a Christian college, which is all too often more than a fulltime job. I am also currently a doctoral student, which regularly consumes a big chunk of my time and mental space. And I strive to be an involved husband and father and church member and serve on several committees and maintain relationships with friends and…

I am too busy.

There are days where I am simply rushing from one thing to the next, or trying—and failing miserably—to “multitask,” which cognitive science says is really a myth anyway. God did not create us to run in seventeen different directions at once. I have heard it said, “God created you to be a human being, not a human doing.”

How often do we get wrapped up in the busyness of doing, and forget to just be? Perhaps we need to be admonished in the words of the psalmist: “Be still, and know that I am God.” (Psalm 46:10)

So often, there is very little stillness in our world. Everyone seems to have a great rush of worry to do more, to get more, to achieve more, to be more…we have a great need of stillness, of quiet, of peace.

In the face of worries and anxieties, Paul encourages us, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6, 7) We do not need to be our worries. We are invited into moments of stillness, when we can joyfully be at rest in God’s presence. When we slow down, catch our breath, still our worried, busy hearts, and rest, we can know true peace—incredible, unknowable peace.

In his Messianic prophecy in chapter 6, Isaiah names Jesus “Prince of Peace.” His rule is one of peace.

We are in Advent, the season of the church year when we are looking forward with longing to Christ’s second coming, even as we remember His first coming. When Christ Jesus comes again, He will bring the Peaceable Kingdom in all its fullness! In the meantime, even amidst your busyness, recognize that He has already come, and he already rules as Prince of Peace.