“You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you! Trust in the Lord always, for the Lord God is the eternal Rock.” Isaiah 26:3-4 NLT
Do you feel like the holiday season is a giant tornado of responsibility, expectations and activity? I used to feel that way. I will be honest. One reason that has changed is that we celebrate Christmas with our adult children on the day after Thanksgiving. But that isn’t the full reason.
I remember feeling overwhelmed and like I was missing the point of the season. In His great love, God helped me understand that what needed to change was not the activity, but my perspective. He helped me shift the way I think about the season and that has led me to peace. The busy seasonal activities haven’t changed much, but I have learned to be at peace as the tornado swirls around me.
Could you use some of that? Here’s what I’ve learned.
Peace comes from an eternal perspective. An eternal perspective is simply remembering that this life is not the goal. A perfect Christmas is not the goal. The goal for a believer is a life that honors God. The goal is to experience heaven and that starts now. Heaven is where God is present. His presence consumes every space in heaven.
An eternal perspective here and now invites God to consume every space in my life. Isn’t that the biggest challenge of our earthly lives? How can I invite God into the spaces of my life this season? How is God present in the planning and preparation for the holiday? When I get to January, will I be able to see Him in the way I handled the activities and the people? Did I represent Him well to the store clerk, my neighbors, or my family?
I want Jesus to be at the heart of my Christmas season because He is the One I look forward to spending eternity with. Yes, Jesus is the reason for the season. I want that to be more than a catchy phrase. I want that to be the truth in my life.
Peace comes when I let go of things I am not responsible for. As I served at a recent community event hosted by our church, I noticed myself constantly looking for what needed to be done. As staff, I felt responsible, but I realized I felt responsible for things that were not my responsibility. Once I clarified what I was responsible for I could take a mental step back. I could see more clearly what I needed to do and what I could refer to someone else, or let rest.
I let go of false responsibility, and then peace came. The event was “organized chaos” at times, but the inner feeling of responsibility to smooth out the chaos disappeared.
What do you feel responsible for that is not yours to fix or resolve? You may be a person who discerns when relationships are off-kilter or processes are out of order in a group. That group could be your workplace, church, or family. Do you feel responsible for smoothing things over? Some of the angst you feel could be from false responsibility. False responsibility steals peace. Try releasing false responsibility and see what that does for your peace.
Peace comes when I stop trying to control outcomes. Part of the reason the holidays used to overwhelm me was that I wanted to make everything perfect. Purchase the perfect gift. Make the perfect batch of cookies for the Christmas Eve buffet. Help my kids perfectly prepare for their school activities. Perfectly contribute to my church responsibilities.
Perfect is a nebulous goal, isn’t it? How does one evaluate “perfect”? One way is by the reactions of others…to the gift I gave, or the cookies I made, or any of my efforts to contribute. A perfect outcome is difficult to discern. At least it was for me. I could always have done better, right?
I had to decide that what mattered most was my effort, not the outcome. I can not control how someone responds to any gift I purchase, regardless of how “perfect” it may be. My best efforts will always leave room for improvement. Perfect is simply not achievable. Peace results when I give my best and leave the outcomes in God’s hands.
Dear Friend, you are enough. Your efforts are enough. Whatever you give this season, gifts, talents, service—is enough. Perfection is not achievable, but peace is. Find peace through a perspective shift. Let go of false responsibility. Decide to leave outcomes in God’s hands. Even if people don’t respond well to any of it, God sees you, and He appreciates you.
Key Question: How can I have peace this holiday season?
A Scripture to Consider: “You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you! Trust in the Lord always, for the Lord God is the eternal Rock.” Isaiah 26:3-4 NLT
A YES Challenge: Plan at least fifteen minutes to take stock of your holiday responsibilities. Determine what your responsibility is. Be honest with yourself and commit to letting go of false responsibility. Set 2-3 reasonable goals of what you can expect of yourself this season. Write them down and review them between now and Christmas day.
Prayer: Lord, help me remember that You don’t expect me to be perfect. Help me to have reasonable expectations of myself this season. Help me accept that perfection is unattainable. I want to keep an eternal perspective and experience Your peace this season. Amen.
