Devotion

The holidays can become chaotic. There is so much to do, so much to prepare, so many expectations, so much pressure to make everything meaningful and beautiful. Stress and anxiety build. Thanksgiving and Christmas—meant to be seasons of joy—can become seasons of exhaustion and resentment. Scripture invites a different approach: prayer, petition, and thanksgiving in place of anxiety. Rather than silently stressing, name your concerns to God. Rather than trying to control outcomes, ask God to help. Rather than focusing on all that is not done, give thanks for what is. This shift from anxiety to gratitude-filled prayer creates space for God's peace. Not peace because everything is perfectly planned or nothing goes wrong, but peace that transcends understanding because you have given your burden to God. As you prepare for the holiday season, use this discipline. When you notice anxiety rising, pause. Pray. Name specifically what you are anxious about. Ask God for help. Give thanks for one aspect of preparation even if other parts are stressful. Notice how this changes your interior state. Notice how it slows you down and prevents the holiday from becoming a sprint. Peace is possible not because preparation is complete but because you have released control to God and given thanks in all circumstances. This is the invitation: Let the holidays refine your spiritual practice rather than interrupt it.