Leaders of Evangelical churches in the country on Christmas Day called on Filipinos to pursue efforts to attain peace in the country.
The Philippine Council for Evangelical Churches (PCEC) said yesterday’s celebration of the birth of Jesus should remind Christians of their responsibility to God, which is to promote peace among mankind.
“This season should be a time for us to give glory to God and to bring peace around us. This was declared by the multitude of angels that sang during the birth of Christ, ‘Glory to God in the highest and on Earth peace among those with whom he is pleased’ (Luke 2:14),” Evangelical Bishop Efraim Tendero, national director of PCEC, said in his Christmas message.
More than merrymaking, gift giving and feasting, Tendero believes that the true spirit of Christmas was really to give glory to God by “promoting peace around us.”
“Giving glory to God. The chief end of man is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever. The Apostle Paul even said that because we are the dwelling place of God it should follow that whether we eat or drink or whatever we do, we should do it all to the glory of God (1 Cor.10:31),” Tendero stressed.
The PCEC head said true and lasting peace was the result of the birth of Christ, and must therefore be pursued in the name of the Lord.
“Jesus gave us peace with God, peace among men, and peace within us. This peace is more than the cessation of strife; it is one that springs from enjoying the fullness of life that Jesus has promised. We can experience said peace by recognizing Jesus as our Savior and Lord,” he explained.
Tendero added: “Having become His children, we should be instruments of peace. This means we should do nothing out of rivalry or conceit, but in humility we should count others more significant than ourselves. We should look not only to our own interests but also to the interests of others (Phil. 2: 3-4). Like St. Francis we should pray, ‘Lord make me an instrument of thy peace’.”
Tendero also asked Christians to take the holiday season as an opportunity to pause and assess themselves by asking the question: Do all the things that I’m doing in my life today result in giving God the recognition that is due Him? Whether we are serving in government or managing our own business or fulfilling our civic and domestic responsibilities, all our endeavors will only have value if they please Him and exalt His name.
PCEC is the largest network of evangelical churches in the country.