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With thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.   --Philippians 4:6-7 Continuing our discussion from yesterday, are you worried or stressed today? As believers in Christ, we know we will have eternal peace when we get to heaven. But Philippians 4:4-9 offers some practical tips to help you cope with your anxieties and fears today. Be thankful for everything. Don’t just thank God for the good things, thank Him for all things. Genuine gratitude and praise produce peace because God inhabits the praises of His people. God draws near when we praise Him. Think on the right things. It’s nearly impossible to think two thoughts at once. So if you are thinking on the right and good things, you can’t think of the wrong things. Do the right thing. One cure for worry is work. I’ve known a lot of people who have died of worry, but I’ve known very few who died of work. Put your faith to practice, get involved in life. Give yourself to meaningful ministry and live out the Christian life. Are your thoughts more positive or more negative? If they’re more negative, pray that God will help you think about the blessings in your life instead of the worries! The Greatest Love by Dr. Paul Chappell “That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.” John 3:15—17 I heard about a family who was driving to church for a Christmas Eve service and singing Christmas songs. Each member was choosing a favorite that they all would sing. When it came to the youngest boy in the family, he said that his favorite Christmas song was “Jesus Loves Me.” While that’s not what we normally think of as a Christmas carol, it is certainly fully appropriate at Christmas and all through the year, for it sums up the message and meaning of Christmas perfectly. This special time of year is a celebration, most of all, of God’s amazing love for us. We had nothing good in ourselves—no hope of salvation and no reason to expect grace. Yet the greatest love in the universe brought the very Son of God from Heaven’s throne to a manger, and then to a cross. The message of Christmas is the message of God’s love. Jesus did not come to be praised and worshiped, though He is worthy of all praise. He did not come to take an earthly throne, though one day He will rule the world. Jesus came to provide us the gift of eternal life. He said, “Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:28). As you celebrate Christmas this year, remember that Jesus loves you, and that He loves the world. Then do all you can to share that love with those who have not yet received it. Today’s Growth Principle:  Rejoice in the great love of God that provided you with the gift of salvation—and then share that love with someone today.