Finding Joy This Christmas

The Christmas season is upon us and it can be crazy and frustrating. This time of year we often feel more stress and anxiety than joy and peace. So many of us are facing major challenges and are finding it hard to overcome. Memories of lost loved ones, financial struggles, family drama, health issues, and relationship troubles often make it difficult to celebrate. Our hearts long to feel the joy of the season to satisfy our deepest longing. 

Furthermore, Satan loves to steal our joy so that we focus on things that only temporarily satisfy. Guilt, worry, confusion and uncertainty all threaten our joy. He wants us to focus on all the negatives that can happen around the holidays so that we are overcome with anxiety. Focusing on the negative disables room for true joy. 

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But God wants to guard our hearts and minds with His peace in a way that goes beyond what we can fathom. While I do not by any means want to minimize your grief or struggle, joy is a choice. It is a condition of our heart to seek God’s goodness beyond our current circumstances. 

Bible Verses About Christmas

We need to celebrate the real reason for the season – Jesus’ birth. Joy is at the foundation of Christmas. A little boy born in a manger changed everything. He was a literal bundle of joy because He is the source of our joy. 

Jesus is the Prince of Peace. He came not as a one-off miracle but to save sinners for eternity! It is the culmination of the story God has been laying out since Day One. We can turn to the Bible to learn more about Christmas.

“And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all people.” – Luke 2:10.

Joy To The World

Joy to the world! The Lord has come (Romans 15:13). We will never find true joy unless we first seek Jesus. This is supposed to be a joyous season. Jesus came so that we could experience the fulfillment of his joy. Not necessarily happiness but the joy that comes from knowing Him.

The source of joy has come into the world. Our Savior, Jesus Christ, came to save the lost. He came as our ransom and extended unending grace so that we might be reconciled to the Father. This is God’s greatest gift of love. That sounds like a good reason to rejoice to me!

How To Find Joy This Christmas 

Having a less stressful Christmas can be as simple as focusing on the true gifts of Christmas. When we choose to focus on Jesus, we choose His presence. We choose to rejoice in what He is doing in and through us. We can control our responses to the otherwise seemingly stressful time. It’s not easy but is definitely doable when we rely on Him! 

Joy in Salvation

Find joy in Christmas today because you know how the story ends – Jesus came and conquered death. Jesus is the beginning and the end. God knew from the beginning that we were in need of a Savior. He was always going to be a part of the story. He is joy in our salvation!

Jesus reigns victorious on the cross! This is the place of great, true joy that satisfies our deepest longing. This means that we can experience His joy and peace as our own. The place where you realize that God is working out everything for your good and His glory.

Spend Time with God 

Joy is found by spending time in God’s presence, delighting in Him, and displaying your love for Him. With the chaos of this season, it can be so hard to schedule in time to spend with God. One way to do this is to worship or read the Gospel of Luke as a family – whether that is around the dinner table or at church. This is a powerful way to draw into God’s presence and remember the real meaning of Christmas. 

Keep a Gratitude Journal 

Joy flows from a grateful heart. A great way to cultivate an attitude of gratitude is to keep a gratitude journal. There are so many benefits to writing down what you are grateful for. 

Take time to write down and/or meditate on what you are grateful for – perhaps start with five things that happened in the last week or month that made you grateful.  Make postcards and/or keep it the note app on your phone so you can glance at what you wrote throughout the day. When you focus on gratitude, the stress of the season will no longer seem important. 

Take Every Thought Captive

When we focus on ourselves, we see all of our human limits and inadequacies.  Joy flows from focusing our eyes on Jesus – the author and perfecter of our faith (Hebrews 12:2). We can change our thoughts and attitude by making them captive to Christ. Focusing on God’s provision and faithfulness is key to unlocking the great gift of joy. When we focus on His goodness, we have little room for anxiety or fear. 

Prayers for Joy

This Christmas take your busyness, worries, and perfectionism to God. Lay them at His feet. Ask Him to help guard your heart and restore your joy. If you are seeking the joy that only God has to offer, pray that He would bless with you this gift every day of your life. 

I do hope this post encourages you to grab hold of the true meaning of Christmas so that glimpses of God’s love and goodness will begin to seep into your heart.

**Verses used in this post were taken from the English Standard Version.

 

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