By Gena Barnhill @BarnhillGena

Is peace during the Christmas season possible now, despite the added activities and busyness?

What We See at Christmas Time

The Christmas season often involves gift buying, entertaining family and friends, meal preparations, traveling, attending Christmas entertainment venues like The Nutcracker, baking Christmas cookies, decorating, and writing  cards—to name a few of the added activities to our already busy lives. The result is feeling overwhelmed and exhausted and wishing the holiday season would end so we can experience relief. But peace during the Christmas season is possible.

Is Peace During the Christmas Season Possible Now #peace #joy #Christmas Click To Tweet

Not Everyone Experiences Peace at Christmas Time

If you grew up in a family that did not celebrate Christmas, you may be unsure how to observe this holiday. Or you may find yourself sad or envious when you see people who appear to be enjoying the holiday and family time together, and your family does not appreciate being together.

TV Christmas movies show families getting together to trim the tree, make cookies, and wrap and exchange presents. If this is your expectation, you may be disappointed that your situation does not look like the idyllic TV families. In reality, not all families do these activities together.

I remember my mother feeling sad during Christmas when I was a young child. Several years later, she explained her dad died unexpectedly on Christmas Eve, and she was reliving that loss every Christmas Eve until she learned to release her pain to Jesus.

Have you released your pain and unmet expectations to Jesus? He came to heal the brokenhearted. Allow Him to comfort you.

When We Forget the True Meaning of Christmas

Christmas is about celebrating the birth of the One who saves us and heals our pain. Too often, we are focused on the media’s portrayal of Christmas, the busyness, and our expectations.

If we are unable to do activities that were once family traditions, such as baking Christmas cookies, because of lack of time or money, we may experience false guilt. False guilt is not from God. It is a tactic of the enemy to keep us busy and distracted from a healthy relationship with the Lord.

I hate to admit that I have been caught up in the frenetic activity of Christmas and have put unrealistic expectations on myself. Making hand-pressed sugar cookies and jam thumbprints together was a tradition in our family. I felt bad when I did not have the time or energy to make them several years ago.

Did we need those cookies and calories? No. I needed to take inventory of my self-imposed expectations. One way to do this is to ask the Lord what He wants us to do. He will let us know if we ask and are willing to listen.

So, what can we do to experience the peace and joy Jesus came to give us during the Christmas season?

We can experience peace in the Christmas season by:

Planning for quiet moments in the Lord’s presence. Intentionally set time in your schedule, even if only for a few minutes, to sit with the Lord in prayer on a regular basis.

Embracing the truth you are unconditionally loved by God. He will never leave you.

Accepting your position as a beloved child in God’s family. When you accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you are adopted into God’s family.

Caring for those around you who need to experience God’s love. Ask the Lord to show you who He wants you to reach out to.

Encouraging others with the good news of the Gospel and hope in the Lord. The Lord is our only hope.

You can still experience God’s peace that passes understanding, even amid the surrounding holiday stress.

Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid” (John 14:27 ESV).

I pray you may experience the Lord’s peace in your life this Christmas season as we celebrate His birth. Jesus came to heal us and set us free from our burdens and brokenness as He said in Luke 4:18-19. Jesus is our only source of hope and peace. Draw close to Him.

I’d love for you to have an opportunity to chime in. What thoughts do you have regarding experiencing peace during the Christmas season? Be sure to share your thoughts in our Facebook Group Facebook Group Healing Prayer Discussion.

We are all stronger when we learn from each other. Looking forward to your input.

Blessings,
Gena

In case you missed the 2023 Christmas post, here is the link:

You Can Experience Peace: The A-B-C Series on Ancestral Influences