Daly Focus Blog
In part one, I shared four simple ideas to help you get organized for Christmas. In part two, I have another idea that can make your holiday season as stress-free as possible.
The mom who gave me this idea calls it her Christmas binder. It’s basically a notebook that keeps all of her Christmas needs in one place, so she doesn’t have to recreate her lists every single year. By the time the season gets underway, she already has a head start.
Christmas is supposed to be a time of joy. But all the “stuff” – the lights, the decorations, the shopping – can be overwhelming and stressful. To make this season as stress-free as possible, keep these four tips in mind:
First, find out what’s important to your family. Sometimes we’re committed to long-held traditions that no longer hold the same meaning. Save your energy and resources for activities everyone will enjoy.
Second, figure out what’s important to you.
In John 10:10, Jesus says, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy.”
In December of 2012, five days before Christmas, Pastor Levi Lusko was confronted by the horrible truth of that verse when his five-year-old daughter Lenya died after a severe asthma attack. Since then, Levi has wrestled through questions and doubts that arise in painful moments.
He has concluded that the devil, the enemy of your soul, wants to rob you of every good thing associated with your life in Christ.
You never know what you’re made of until you’re tested.
One of the most famous stories of this kind is a man named Doris Miller, who woke up on December 7th, 1941, as a United States Navy cook third class aboard the battleship West Virginia. By noon, he had entered American history as the first black American to be awarded the Navy Cross, the second highest military decoration awarded for valor in combat.
As the first Japanese bombs and torpedoes exploded at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, Miller risked his life to carry wounded sailors to safety.
I’ve seen government overreach and oppression firsthand. I was in Moscow in August of 1991 when President Mikhail Gorbachev was placed under house arrest. It was a failed coup attempt orchestrated by hardline communists who opposed his ideas for reform. Russian citizens were told that Gorbachev was ill. In reality, he was being held hostage.
I’ve been in other countries who closely monitored the Christian church and limited their freedoms. These governments only tolerated so much before cracking down and silencing any expression of faith.
When life gets hard, your perspective can make all the difference.
Perspective is the theme of an art piece called “Sunset Over Manhattan.” When it was presented in galleries, the piece was located in a dark room. When viewers entered, a light from above came on and illuminated an old table against the far wall. Scattered across the table were old bottles, scraps of newspaper, and soda cans shot through with BB guns.
At first, viewers stood there, wondering why the artist believed a table filled with garbage would communicate something meaningful.
Forgiveness is transformational. But it isn’t easy. Because it requires a lot.
Jesus tells a parable in Matthew 18:23-35 about a servant who owes the king a debt of 10,000 talents. Estimates vary on exactly how much that converts to in today’s dollars, but many commentators suggest that one talent was roughly a year’s wages. Referencing 10,000 talents was Jesus’ way of communicating that the servant was hopelessly in debt to the king. Which is what makes the king’s gracious forgiveness so remarkable.
Every December I look forward to slowing down during the Christmas season and reflecting on God’s generous provision over the past year. Despite my best intentions, however, I struggle to find quiet time because there’s always so much going on during the holidays.
I know I’m not alone. Christmas is filled with unrealistic expectations. We put a lot of energy into shopping, decorating, attending parties, and wrapping gifts, and we wonder why we feel so stressed out instead of refreshed and closer to God and our families.
Happy Thanksgiving!
The Bible has a lot to say about giving thanks. We’re encouraged to “give thanks to the Lord” (1 Chronicles 16:34), to pray “with thanksgiving” (Philippians 4:6), and to receive God’s provision “with thanksgiving” (1 Timothy 4:4). We’re also told that our generosity in Christ stirs up responses of thanksgiving in others (2 Corinthians 9:11), spreading gratitude for God outward.
Thanksgiving is a time to reflect on the blessings the Lord has given us and to express our gratitude for His bountiful grace and mercy.
With the economy still troubled and unemployment figures struggling to right themselves, thankfulness may be in short supply for many Americans this year. The early Pilgrims encountered extreme hardship as well. But their response is instructive.
The Pilgrims’ effort to colonize America was fraught with challenge from the moment they stepped foot on the Mayflower. The journey across the Atlantic Ocean took 65 days in cold, damp, and miserable conditions. A number of the passengers became ill, and one person died before they reached the shore of their new home.
Jim Daly is a husband, father and President of Focus on the Family and host of its National Radio Hall of Fame broadcast. His blog, Daly Focus, is full of timely commentary and wisdom designed to help you navigate and understand today’s culture. His latest book is Marriage Done Right.
