Seeking Contentment at Christmasনমুনা

Christmas is my favorite season of the year! It is the largest birthday celebration on Earth - and appropriately so! Yet, we have tragically moved from worshiping a child lying in a borrowed manger that first Christmas Day to the modern extravaganza marked by frenzied shopping. 

The next season will almost certainly be a jostling, frantic blur of parties and baking and travel and pumpkin spice…and massive amounts of food until (as the last strains of Auld Lang Syne fade), we all coast back into the station and exhale – sometime about mid-January.

So, how do we, in fact, experience peace during the upcoming Christmas season? Can we find peace in being still, relishing the precious moments of the season, in quiet anticipation of each day? Yes, we can.

Christmas is a time to pause, ponder, and praise the gift of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Rather than succumbing to the unwanted burden of financial and social obligations, we must intentionally seek stillness to hear the voice of God and find the strength to sacrificially serve and share His love with others. Much of our loss of peace comes with the financial pressures we feel when the emphasis of the season is on buying gifts.

Overspending is the opposite of how Christians should celebrate. It creates stress and robs us of the ability to save and give generously to our churches and those in need. Likewise, time must be stewarded as carefully as money. The older I get, the faster it seems to fly. Don’t squander it on worthless endeavors – but seek ways to grow in faith, reduce distractions, and serve others.

This requires intentional planning. Just as Jesus had to get away from the crowds, so must we, to renew the heart, mind, and body.

He tells us to come to Him when weary and heavy laden, and He will give us rest. (Matthew 11:28)

We’re to cast all of our anxiety on Him because He cares for us. (1 Peter 5:7)

He, who silenced the storm and hushed the sea, is more than capable of calming our anxious hearts. 

We can be still, and know that He is God. (Psalm 46:10)

For He satisfies the longing soul, and the hungry soul He fills with good things. (Psalm 107:9)

With complete dependence upon our mighty God, we can say “No” to the demands of the world and joyfully celebrate the birth of Him who fills us with His peace. Let’s honor Christ this Christmas season with sincere and humble hearts and experience the peace that He gives.