Four Things (Most) Every Person Desires

Based on my interactions with all varieties of people, I believe most every person wants at least four things:

• More joy
• Peace with their Creator
• Peace with themself
• Peace with others

If you are like me, while I want to experience more joy and peace, I’m just as likely to experience fear, anxiety, discouragement, and doubt instead.

This may come as a surprise to you, but not every moment of my life is filled with overflowing joy. I have had seasons in life that were anything but peaceful.

Whether or not we have put our finger on the reason, everyone from Adam and Eve to Kanye West has been searching for someone or something that will solve their problems or ease their pain.

God not only recognized our problem, but he proactively took the initiative to bring about a solution. The solution wasn’t a secret formula, available only to a select few. It didn’t involve having to master the finer points of theology. The solution wasn’t another system but a Savior.

For the benefit of a few ordinary shepherds, God orchestrated the greatest laser light show in history to announce the arrival of his Son.

13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, 14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” – Luke 2:13-14

How bright is just one angel? Can their brightness be measured in lumens?

Luke, the same writer who records the laser light show, also writes about the empty tomb of Easter (Luke 24:1-8). That morning, several ladies are greeted by two angels dressed in “clothes that gleamed like lightning.”

The two angels together were no low wattage affair. Imagine the entire sky filled with angels who likely “gleamed like lightning.”

Being the curious sort, I’ve wondered if the innkeeper back in Bethlehem noticed the show? The shepherds weren’t that far away from Bethlehem and the first century had nearly zero light pollution (to borrow a modern concern).

Did other people hear their singing?

We simply don’t know if anyone else besides the shepherds saw or heard anything.

Here’s what I do know: The shepherds heard the angels. Mary heard an angel and Joseph recognized one in a dream. Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist, heard one, too.

But not everyone hears God. Not everyone sees the light that is shining all around them. Why is that?

It’s not overly complicated. Some believe in the supernatural; others don’t.

But why does it matter if you believe in the supernatural or not? Remember four things every person wants: More joy, peace with God, peace with ourselves, and peace with others.

These are realities that are not determined by my circumstances.

True joy and lasting peace are supernatural expressions of God’s presence in a person’s life. If all you believe in is the natural experience of things, joy and peace will remain elusive.

The Christmas story brings a promise, but it has nothing to do with a holiday. In fact, what we really need is not Christmas but Christ and his transforming work in our lives.

When God shines his brilliant light into your life, I pray that you won’t miss the greatest display of love created just for you.

I’ve been helping people and organizations get unstuck for nearly 30 years. Whether it’s a one-on-one coaching session or speaking to hundreds at a large conference, I find great satisfaction in helping people reach their God-given potential.