Holiday Blues

Christmas is time of celebration. It’s a time for family, gift giving, and memory making. Right? 

What if it wasn’t? For some the holidays are especially hard. Recent separation from loved ones by death or divorce, poverty, illness, or simply loneliness turns a time of celebration into a time of pain, grief, or emptiness.

I write this for those who struggle to find joy in the holidays. Christmas isn’t about the gifts or decorations. I want to offer you a little hope by sharing the real meaning of Christmas.

Power to Choose

We live in a broken, hurting world. No kidding!! Right? For many, it’s hard not to blame God for the pain. This may be difficult to understand or nearly impossible to accept for some, but God doesn’t want us to be hurting or sick. He also doesn’t want a people to serve Him simply out of fear or obligation. He wants a willing, intimate relationship with each of us. Because of this, we have the power of choice.

As people, we don’t always make the right decisions. Whether they are made by us or others around us, poor choices can introduce pain into our lives. Knowing this, God gave his only son as a sacrifice for us so we would no longer be held captive by the sin and pain of this world.

Unexpected Truths

One of the most incredible truths I have learned about Jesus is He truly understands our pain and suffering because he experienced it himself. He knows what it is to be rejected and alone. He knows the heartache from loss of a loved one. He knows the devestation that accompanies betrayal. Luke 5:16 even says He often withdrew to lonely places to pray.

Growing up in a Christian home, attending church several times a week, taught me about the sacrifice Jesus made when he willingly died on the cross for us. It didn’t introduce me to the God that understood my pain. I never heard about “that” Jesus, the one who was in such agony that he sweat drops of blood and had to be strengthened by an angel to keep going (Luke 22:43-44).

The Greatest Gift

Christmas is a celebration of the greatest gift, the birth of Christ, our Savior. He was born, fully man, to experience the same temptations and pain we do, yet remained fully God to become a holy and blameless sacrifice for us. He was born to lay down his life for us, even though we turn our back on him. He was born to fulfill God’s promise of eternal life and an everlasting love. He was born to die for us, conquering sin and death in this world, be raised from the dead, and return to heaven to sit at the right hand of God as our mediator and defender.

Because of the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus, we have the promise of the return of Christ and reunification with Him. He didn’t promise life would be easy or without pain, but He did promise us eternal life and rest in Him if we persevere and follow Him.

Need Help?

If you need help getting through the holidays, don’t hesitate to reach out to any of the national organizations listed on our Resource Page. If you are hurting, lost, or lonely, please know you are truly loved and never alone.

If you would like us to pray with you, feel free to submit your request through our Contact page. Don’t forget to subscribe for more personal reflection and encouragement!