The holiday season is often associated with indulging in delicious treats and making exceptions in our diet to eat the things we crave. It is also often wrought with family conflict and discourse. This leaves most of us anxiously anticipating the savory smells of turkey and stuffing and the joyful melodies of Christmas carols, all while dreading Aunt Patty’s controlling personality or Uncle Bill’s ridiculous stories.
The Goodness of God
Amidst this battle of joyful anticipation and anxiety, what doesn’t usually come to mind is the goodness of God. We all find ourselves in different seasons and stages of life when holidays come rolling around, which often dramatically influences how we experience and respond to the holiday madness or simply eating dinner with the family. The difference from last year could be screaming children or a few empty chairs around the table. It could also be the challenge of saying ‘no’ to dessert or ‘no’ to partaking in alcoholic beverages. Leading up to and during, we can sometimes not realize how these things weigh on us spiritually and emotionally, and we can neglect to see how they can cause us to feel irritable, anxious, depressed, and a whole myriad of negative emotions. This is where the goodness of God comes in. When we praise him with adoration for his goodness and who he is, we can find the joy, peace, and strength to walk through anything in life with Jesus by our side. “Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.” – Psalm 34:8
Holiday Humility
When I reflect on holiday memories of past arguments, anxieties, and simply feeling disappointment, I am reminded of the lens through which I viewed my holiday experiences. This was a lens of wanting to recreate past memories with family, trying to replicate the hallmark holiday experiences seen on TV, and simply wanting everything to be perfect. I don’t believe this is always wrong or bad, however, what is wrong is forgetting the one who is perfect and remembering that outside of Christ, people are imperfect and broken, and it is by and through his grace alone that we find redemption. This is where it is important to practice daily confession to the Lord, admitting that we are not God and that Jesus is Lord. When we regularly remember and recognize our inability to find righteousness outside of Christ, we are then able to embrace the heart of Jesus. “just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give
his life as a ransom for many.” – Matthew 20:28
Tis the Season to Worship
One thing that is a given during every holiday season is complaining. From long lines at the store to never-ending to-do lists, people complain. I’m pretty sure most of us can easily think of five things to complain about, but we struggle to even think of three things we are thankful for. However, with the right perspective of God’s goodness and an attitude of humility, we can joyfully praise and thank God for his many blessings. We can marvel at his excellence and worship him with sincere hearts. In theory, this sounds so doable, but I want to be real. We don’t always feel like worshiping or thanking God. In fact, I don’t believe it comes naturally to most of us. A perfect example of this is Joshua and the Israelites marching around Jericho for seven days and blowing horns. Yet they did as God commanded, and he was faithful in delivering the city into their hands. Like Joshua and the Israelites, God also commands us in the Psalms and throughout the Bible repeatedly to worship him with thanksgiving! “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
My prayer for us this holiday is that we might remember the goodness and sovereignty of our God, walk in the humility of the Cross, and praise and
worship him in every situation!
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