Destressing Christmas
I’m guessing that I don’t really need to establish the fact that Christmas season brings an elevated level of stress to all of us. With all the family and friend gatherings, decorations, shopping, budgets, gift-giving, schedules, and perhaps difficult family dynamics, there’s enough stress to go around for everyone. In fact, I just read that 89% of U.S. adults experience stress during the holidays, and 41% say their stress levels are higher than other times of the year (American Psychological Association Survey).
None of this is a surprise since we know Christmas comes around every year at the same time. So, the question is how do we address this stress and not miss the true and central reason of the season?
Well, amazingly we find there was plenty of stress to go around during the very first Christmas:
Mary was stressed as a teenager when she was visited by the angel Gabriel who told her she would be conceiving “the Son of the Most High” when she knew that was impossible since she was a virgin (Luke 1:26–38).
Joseph was stressed when an angel appeared to tell him that His engaged fiancée was shockingly pregnant (Matt. 1:18–19).
Mary must have been stressed when there was no room to stay in the inn and they had to lay her son in the feeding trough (Luke 2:6–7).
The shepherds had to have been stressed when suddenly and abnormally an angel of the Lord stood before them to tell them of the good news of the Messiah's birth in the city of David (Luke 2:8–12).
King Herod was stressed when he heard from the Magi that another rival King had been born (Matt. 2:1–3).
Joseph and Mary felt some severe stress when they learned King Herod wanted to destroy their newborn Son (Matt. 2:13).
The city of Bethlehem was stressed (an understatement) as Herod killed all the male children who were two years or under (Matt. 2:16).
Joseph and Mary were stressed about returning to Bethlehem when they found out Herod was dead and his son Archelaus was now reigning in Judea (Matt. 2:20–22).
So, what de-stressors can we find from the Christmas story that can help us manage our elevated level of stress during this important season of celebration?
Find truth that will remind you of the central meaning of God’s incarnation like Joseph did when he wanted to divorce Mary (Matt. 1:19–21) and like Mary did when she accepted this unexpected miracle of birth from the Lord (Luke 1:30–38).
Find joy even in stressful circumstances like Elizabeth did when she rejoiced in Mary’s special pregnancy (Luke 1:39–43), like Mary did when she “rejoiced in God my Savior” as a humble servant (Luke 1:46–47), and like the magi did when the star stood over the place “where the Child was” (Matt. 2:10). Embrace God’s joy-generating announcement through His angel: “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord" (Luke 2:10–11).
Find peace in the midst of the business like the shepherds did when they heard the “multitude of the heavenly host” praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased” (Luke 2:13–14).
Find hope even when the world we live in and perhaps your own circumstances seem so overwhelming, and we see how God kept His promise by bringing “a Savior who is Christ the Lord” which blessed Simeon (Luke 2:25–34) and Anna (Luke 2:36–38)
Those are just a few of the de-stressors embedded in the Christmas story, so re-read the story and find some additional gems and let the Lord bring a supernatural calm to your life this time of year. Read it chronologically (Matt. 1:1–17; Luke 3:23–38; Luke 1:5–80; Matt. 1:18–25; Luke 2:1–40; Matt. 2:11–23).
Pastor Jeff
“The baby born, is the Christ crucified. The baby crying, is the Christ who cried, “It is finished.” The baby sleeping, is the Christ who rose from the dead. The gospel of Christmas is incomplete without the cross and resurrection of Christ.”