By: Lauren Maloney
“I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.”
Romans 15:13
The holidays should be a time for happiness, joy and celebration but for a lot of people it can be a time of great sorrow. This season may sometimes bring feelings of defeat due to memories of lost loved ones, financial pressures, or the effort required to make your home look festive. Maintaining the joy and peace that this season represents can be challenging, but it also doesn’t make you a failure. By opening our hearts in prayer and gratitude, we allow the Holy Spirit to fill the empty spaces with peace and the assurance that we are never truly alone.
Families together can remind you of who is not at the table this year and that empty chair can also make your heart fill empty as well. It's difficult to enjoy celebrations when you're grieving the loss of a loved one. You might put on a smile, but deep down you don't truly feel happy. It’s normal to feel sad and grieve those who are no longer in the world with us, yet God invites us to bring our sorrow before Him and trust in His comfort to bring us joy and peace. As we miss those who are not at the table, we can honor their memory by reflecting on the hope we have in Christ and the promise of eternal life.
Living for the world may lead you to think that a wonderful Christmas requires giving everyone the most expensive gifts. It often appears that expressing love requires extravagant gestures that can drain your bank account. Everywhere you turn, there’s someone trying to sell you the latest must-have item. Our children are growing up in a world where what they wear is valued more than the qualities of their character. That makes it ever more important to remind them of the true importance of friendship, which is, there is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends (John 15:13). It’s not about what you can buy for a friend or family member but how you can bring light into their lives. Give yourself grace and allow space for authentic moments even if they look different than you imagined.
We strive to meet the expectation of perfection yet, ultimately, we may feel that our efforts are still not enough. Scrolling online, everyone else seems to have their lives in order with perfect decorations, a home-cooked meal and a happy family. It can keep you feeling defeated and not able to reclaim the joy and peace that this time of year is meant to be about. It’s important to remember that what we see online is often just a highlight reel, not the full story. May we find solace in God’s presence, cherish the blessings of family and faith, and remember that the true joy of this season is not found in perfect decorations or grand celebrations but is found in the love and sacrifice shown by a man who embodied perfection.
I leave you with this prayer found in Romans 15:13 “I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.” And to remind you to reach out to trusted friends or family members, or simply share your heart with God in prayer, this can bring comfort and remind you that you are not alone in your struggles. It’s okay to hold both joy and sorrow together, knowing that God’s presence meets us in every emotion and circumstance.