Holiday Blues

The holidays are viewed by most as a time of happiness and rejoicing, but for others it can be a time of painful memories, sadness, loneliness, anxiety and depression. Usually these feelings of sadness are often referred to as the holiday blues and come around the months of November and December. While the holiday blues is not an officially recognized psychiatric condition, it does not mean that the feelings it can produce should be ignored. These feelings can have a major impact on we function each day. 
 

Even people who love the holidays can have having the holiday blues during this busy time of year. The demands and high emotions can leave a lot of us feeling stressed, overwhelmed and exhausted.

 

How should a Christian handle the holiday blues? Let’s face it, just because we are Christians doesn’t mean we are immune to sad feelings, anxiety, loneliness, and the list goes on. Jesus tells us that He will never leave us or forsake us, but This doesn’t mean life is going to always be easy. Jesus knows what we are going through because He himself has experienced life as a man who walked this earth. 

So, here are a few practical tips to help us handle the holiday blues together.

  1. Avoid excessive alcohol consumption. Alcohol is a depressant and can exacerbate any negative feelings you might have. No, this isn’t a platform to promote or condemn drinking alcohol. But, many people like to have drink. As Christians we cannot rely on alcohol to deal with life’s tough days and hard times. We must rely on Christ and the strength he provides. Psalm 59:17 says You are my strength, I sing praise to you; you, God, are my fortress, my God on whom I can rely.
  2. Don’t isolate yourself. Sadness often makes us want hide by ourselves at home. Some may live away from family and feel like they have no one to connect with. Push yourself to become socially connected by serving in your church or volunteering your time for those in need. When we focus on serving other our sad feelings can slowly fade away. 1 Peter 4:10 says Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.
  3. Try to exercise regularly. While it can be difficult to stick to a workout schedule when you are feeling down, research has shown that regular physical activity can play an important role in preventing and reducing symptoms of depression. We are to be good stewards of the body that God has given us.
  4. Set limits and have realistic expectations. You can avoid overcommitting by knowing your limits and learning how to say no. That doesn’t mean that you should say “no” to everything, but make sure that you leave enough time for yourself to relax and enjoy the season.

These tips focus a lot on the individual and they are all important. the most important, final tip however, is to fix our eyes on jesus.

 
We must be intentional in spending quality time with him. In our prayer time, our devotion time and our time when we are experience Jesus together as a body of believers. If we are not being intentional in those three areas then it is almost inevitable the holiday blues will catch up with us.
 

This holiday season, offer yourself to Jesus as a fresh offering. Your time, your focus, your conversations, your worship, your body, your health, your family, your thoughts and every part of your being. Jesus is our king and he deserves our praise. Practice a lifestyle that revolves around Jesus, making him the center.

 
Listen to Casting Crowns “Christmas Offering” and make it your prayer this holiday season.
 

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Author: 
Worship leader, Faith Assembly

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Jesus at the Center

As Christmas is upon us it’s hard not to notice the lights, decorations and all of the hard work we put into making everything look just perfect for the holidays. One thing that always stands out to me is the nativity scene. It seems that there just aren’t quite as many set up as there used to be. The thing I love about the nativity scene is that Jesus is always in the center…and all eyes are on Him.
 
 
 
This is a great reminder to me. Through all of the hustle and bustle of the holidays, the most important thing now (and always) is placing Jesus at the center of all we are and all we do.

I want Jesus to be the center of everything…
the center of my life
the center of my family’s life
the center of the Church
the center of my work

We live in a world with so many distractions… and let’s not forget our adversary,

who loves to use those distractions to try and pull us a way from Jesus.

 

One distraction I have found to be a hindrance- a roadblock- in my Christ-centered life is getting involved with too much. Being too busy can be a tool the enemy uses, and one that is a common struggle for most people. Personally, I’m active in a lot of different groups, meetings at work and at church. All the things I’m a part of are great causes and have great meaning, but the tasks and time that each one of those things takes can take over my true purpose very quickly.

I have found, when I try and put an order of importance on my priorities and stick to that order, I sometimes fail miserably.

I tend to allow all these good, meaningful things to become the center of what I am doing instead of Christ being the center of all I do.
There is a difference.

 
Through God’s grace in my life, I’ve also discovered this: when I place Jesus at the very center,
my priorities are set by God as he shapes me into who He wants me to be.
 
I encourage all of us to take a step back this Christmas and holiday season. Take a step back and allow Jesus to be the center of it all.
Only we can do this for ourselves, and when we do, we can truly thank God for His amazing generosity by sending us His one and only Son.
 
Make this your prayer while you listen to Israel Houghton’s song “Jesus at the Center.”
 
Author:
Christ Follower, Husband, Dad
Worship Leader, Faith Assembly
 

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