Christmastime is stressful. That’s a sad statement, but it’s one that each of us knows all too well. A recent study reports that 88% of people find Christmas one of the most stressful times of year. In fact, 63% of those people said that the Christmas season is more stressful than tax season. That’s right, more people experience stress about Christmas than they do about the annual date that federal income tax returns have to be turned in.
Of those 88%, 77% of them said that Christmas is such a stressful time of year for them that they don’t even enjoy the holiday. Isn’t that a sad statement? We have a holiday that is designated as the celebration of Christ’s birth, and yet, we have allowed it to become such a stressful time of year that 77% of people don’t even enjoy it. Perhaps you find yourself among that number. If so, it’s not all that surprising.
After all, the Christmas season brings together multiple sources of stress for many people. Money is one of the most significant stressors in the lives of most people. We stress about paying bills, we stress about setting a budget, and in a time where inflation rates are higher than some of us have ever seen, we stress about having enough money to keep our kitchens stocked. When you throw in the financial stress of buying gifts into the mix, financial stress gets even more significant.
We also stress about our time. Each of us are given the same 24 hours in a day, and most of us still end the day feeling like those 24 hours weren’t enough. If only we had more time, we would spend more quality time with our friends and family. If we had a little more time, we would have gotten those last few tasks done at work. If we had just a little more time, we would probably get the recommended hours of sleep. Christmas leaves us feeling like we have even less time to get everything done that we need to do.
When you throw in responsibilities that involve travel plans or hosting friends and family members, the stress can become overwhelming. However, just because Christmas is considered a stressful time of year, it doesn’t mean that you can’t slow down and enjoy what this season is truly about. If you’re looking for a way to have a peaceful Christmas, consider some of these tips.
Jesus At the Center of It All
Luke 2:6-7 (TPT)
When they arrived in Bethlehem, Mary went into labor, and there she gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped the newborn baby in strips of cloth, and Mary and Joseph laid him in a feeding trough since there was no available space in any upper room in the village.
We are often quick to say that we know that the birth of Christ is the true reason for the season, but we don’t always live like we know that. Before we dive into how to relieve some of the stress of Christmas, we should clarify a couple things. There is absolutely nothing wrong with buying gifts for your children, your family, and other people who matter in your life. The tradition of gift giving at Christmas traces its roots back to the wise men who came to see the Christ-child. The things that we stress about during the Christmas season are not inherently wrong. However, when we allow them to overtake the central focus of the Christmas season, they do become problematic.
When you find yourself getting stressed about holiday hosting responsibilities, travel plans, and budgets, take a moment and slow down. Open your Bible and read a portion of the Christmas story from Saint Luke or Saint Matthew’s Gospel accounts. Ask the Holy Spirit to make the story brand new to you all over again.
When we calm our spirits through the power of God’s Word, it doesn’t take long for everything in our lives to fall into a state of balance. During the holiday season, it’s a great idea to take some time and journal some of your thoughts. Journaling the things that God reveals to you about the familiar story of His Son’s birth will give you a point of reference when you start experiencing the stress that is so often a part of our holiday seasons.
Change Your Plans
Luke 2:14 (TPT)
“Glory to God in the highest realms of heaven! For there is peace and a good hope given to the sons of men.”
When we experience stress during the Christmas season, it’s often because we are so heavily focused on our own plans that we fall into the trap of believing that nothing else matters. For example, when you’re preparing your home to host holiday visitors, you probably spend some time making sure everything is as close to perfect as it can be. Isn’t it ironic that we invite people into our home’s and then stress ourselves in the name of making it look like no one lives there? That’s not an indictment against house cleaning. Instead, it simply points to the fact that we stress about things that your visitors probably won’t even notice.
Then we start stressing about food and presents. By the time Christmas comes, we’re often so ready for the entire thing to just be over that we fail to even enjoy what we prepared for.
Consider changing your plans and focusing on others during this time of year. There are plenty of local charities that need volunteers during this time of year and spreading “good hope” to the sons of men. When you realize how blessed you are and allow that to drive you to be a blessing to other people, you recognize that the things that are stressing you are actually a blessing.
Engage in Worship
Matthew 2:11-12 (TPT)
When they came into the house and saw the young child with Mary, his mother, they fell to the ground at his feet and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasure chests full of gifts and presented him with gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Afterward they returned to their own country by another route because God had warned them in a dream not to go back to Herod.
Finally, it’s important that we recognize that Christmas is a powerful time of worship. Our stress doesn’t preclude us from the ability to worship the King of Kings and Lord of Lords during this time of year. The wise men were most certainly stressed. Herod, the King who ruled over them, was pressuring them to report to him concerning Christ’s location. He said he wanted to worship Christ, but he actually wanted to murder Him.
The wise men risked their lives and their livelihoods in order to go worship the Christ-child. We don’t have to face any stress of that level during the Christmas season. With that in mind, when we worship Him, our perspective shifts. When He is magnified, the other things in our lives start looking smaller by comparison.
This Christmas season, make sure that you’re taking the time to truly focus on Christ in a spirit of worship. Make Him the focal point of everything you do this season.
A Closing Prayer:
Heavenly Father, I know that Christmastime shouldn’t be such a stressful concept, but I have allowed it to become just that. Help me to look beyond what I need to get done so I can better focus on what You did. Thank You for the true meaning of this season. Thank You for the gift of Your Son who came to seek and to save those who were lost. In His name I pray, Amen.