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Being Confident Of This

Grace for the work-in-progress woman

7 Tips for a More Peaceful Christmas

December 17, 2018 by jstults Leave a Comment

Several Christmases ago, as I looked at the family calendar, my heart hardened with resentment. For a season said to bring joy and light and peace, it was only bringing me stress!

In addition to my overwhelmed schedule, the desire to provide gifts for our family led to financial stress. And then there was our marriage… Due to my husband’s PTSD and years of repeated struggle during the holiday season, we barely dared to hope for a completely peaceful Christmas.

Peace is what I desperately longed for, yet peace seemed distant and unreachable.

It shouldn’t be this way for a Christian woman, I thought.

I should be radiating peace now more than ever in anticipation of Jesus’ birthday! Christmas celebrations are supposed to be fun, not stressful, so why am I so discouraged and weary?

Friend, as much as Hallmark and Hollywood tell us otherwise, there’s nothing perfect about the Christmas season!

Problems don’t magically disappear, relationships often remain strained, and Christians, even strong Christians, still struggle with sin.

Because we live in a fallen world, sin and suffering taint our  Christmas joy. Scripture speaks of how all of creation groans in anticipation of that day when Christ’s return ushers in the full completion of His love story and a restoration of peace on Earth, a perfection only possible when this world ends and eternity begins.

In the meantime, Christmas stirs up the longing for that completion, that elusive perfection we so desire. So as we observe the hard parts of our everyday lives side-by-side with our expectations of joy and light and love, we feel dissatisfied.

And praise God that we do, for this world is not our home! We’re meant for a glory this world can never provide, even at Christmas time.

 

7 Tips for a Peaceful Christmas

So how can we reconcile these feelings of longing and hope not yet realized with our ideals of a peaceful Christmas?

The answer is the same today as it was all those years ago – we look to Christ!

Don't let the Christmas chaos steal your joy and peace! Let these 7 tips lead you to a more peaceful Christmas this year. #peaceful #stressrelief #Christmas #faith Being Confident of This | Confident Christian Living | bible verses | bible lesson | Bible study | growing in faith | Christian women resources | holiday tips | encouragement | hope | joy | stress-free holiday | self-care

  1. Adjust your expectations.

Part of our struggle for peace in the face of perfectionism is our tendency to set up unrealistic expectations for what Christmas looks like for our home, family, and even church! If you expect perfection this year, friend, you’re bound to be disappointed sooner rather than later. Perfection just isn’t possible!

Are you lacking in joy this Christmas? Do you feel the longing for more? Maybe that's not such a bad thing! For a Longing, Weary World #Christmas #encouragement #faith devotional thought | bible study | Christian women | Christmas expectations | holiday stress | o holy night | Being Confident of This | why Christmas makes us sad

Read about how overcoming expectations and finding peace in the longing is a good thing!

2. Rest in your work-in-progress status.

If you want a peaceful Christmas, friend, you must learn to approach the holidays with a confidence that is rooted in your position in Christ. If your confidence comes from how well-decorated your house is, how delicious your baked goods, how spiritual your advent plan, or how awe-inspiring your gifts, then your confidence rests on sinking sand rather than on the Solid Rock.

One broken decoration, one burnt cookie, one missed day of advent, or one failed gift – one less-than-perfect moment is enough to bring it all tumbling down.

 

Unrealistic expectations are a set up for failure!! Read how one failed Christmas broadened my view of God's grace! #christmasfail #encouragement #Christianwomen Being Confident of This | Resources for Christian women | devotionals | Bible studies | grace | holiday expectations | set up for failure | overcoming failure | holiday hypocrite | gospel truth

Read about how embracing your work-in-progress status strengthens you for the fight for Christmas joy here!

3. Guard against strife in your marriage.

Did you know that January is the month when the most people file for divorce in America? Christmas places a burden of extra stress on marriage relationships if we let it! Even healthy marriages are at risk for extra bickering and disappointments that result when we realize our family is not Christmas-card perfect. Taking a family photo alone can be quite the ordeal, am I right?! 😉

The Enemy knows this to be true, and it seems he works overtime to create distance in families during the Christmas season. As Christians, we must be on guard, lest we allow him to rob us of our Christmas joy!

How to set your marriage up for success this Christmas! Hope for the Hurting Wife sale|Being Confident of This|Christian women|Bible study|encouragement|devotional thought|inspiration|growing in Christ|progress|perfectionism|marriage|marriage help #marriage #hope #Christianbook

Read about how to protect your marriage as a necessary step toward a peaceful Christmas here!

You can also read about how to survive Christmas as a hurting wife in my friend and co-author Rebekah’s piece here.

You can experience peace this Christmas even if your marriage isn't perfect! #marriagetips #hopeformarriage #encouragement #Christmas Being Confident of This | work in progress marriage | marriage encouragement | Hope for the Hurting Wife | unhappy marriage at Christmas | unloving husband | unloving wife | difficult marriage | marriage advice

4. Focus on what your family really needs most.

In the commercialism of Christmas, we parents tend to worry over Christmas gifts. After all, we want to bless our children and demonstrate our love for them in the same way our Father God did for us – through a gift.

While there’s nothing wrong with gift-giving, if finances are tight or if children have asked for one of those impossible gifts that parents have no control over, we can easily feel like we’re unable to give our kids what the world would call a “good” Christmas. Feeling inadequate hardly leads to a peaceful Christmas, does it?

Whether your world has been turned completely upside down or this year has just been more challenging than most, rest assured that you can give your children what they really need this Christmas, friend!

You can give your kids a good Christmas without health, without money, without extravagance... How to Give Your Kids a Good Christmas from Being Confident of This #Christmas #kids #parentingtips #gifts best Christmas present | Christian family | Christian parenting | mom life | motherhood | purposeful parenting | teaching kids about Christ at Christmas | keeping Christ in Christmas

Read about the best way to give your kids a good Christmas here.

5. Let go of Holiday guilt!

If you’re a woman of faith who has children, then you know the emphasis of keeping Christ in Christmas, right?

Good Christian mamas are supposed to purchase or create thoughtful gifts, maintain an atmosphere of peace in our homes, and participate in all of the joyous programs and celebrations, and on top of that we’re also supposed to teach our children the real meaning of Christmas at the same time, too.

Sometimes all of that pressure to perform adds up to a burden of holiday guilt, doesn’t it? And with it, our desire for a peaceful Christmas slips quietly away…

How can busy moms fit in an advent plan that works for the whole family? Overcome holiday guilt by... #busymoms #simpleadvent #Christianfamily #parentingtips Being Confident of This | devotional | Bible study | advent plan | family advent | advent for kids | kids Christmas activities | Christmas bucket list | Christmas traditions

Read about overcoming guilt by simplifying advent here!

And follow my friend Aimee’s tips for simplifying all of your Christmas plans here. I love how she says she doesn’t have to make pies anymore! 😉

If you want more peace this Christmas, follow these easy steps! #peacefulChristmas #simplify #holidaytips Being Confident of This | how to have a more peaceful Christmas | less holiday stress | more joy | Christian women | devotional thought | Bible study | tips | advice | encouragement

6. Look for peace in the right places.

A peaceful Christmas doesn’t happen by accident, friend.

No, a peaceful Christmas requires intentional action to keep ourselves grounded in God’s truth. Only then can we ignore the holiday hype in favor of realistic expectations in this season of joy! The good news is that there are practical steps we can take toward peace this year.

If you want more peace during Christmas this year, take these practical steps! Christian women|Being Confident of This|holidays|busy|overwhelmed|chaos|full schedule|seeking Christ|Bible verses|devotional|encouragement #peace #Christmas #freeprintable #Bibleverse

Read these tips on how to savor the season and have a meaningful Christmas here! (and this one comes with a FREE printable – my Christmas gift to you)

You can also find more practical tips on how to keep first things first this Christmas season for a more peaceful Christmas here (and another FREE printable!). I appreciate this author’s take on Jesus’ example in this area of Christian self-care.

In the holiday busyness, it's easy to let go of habits that ground us in peace. Being Confident of This #selfcare #Christmas #peace #overcomestress holiday sress | peaceful Christmas | keeping Christ in Chirstmas | practical tips | Free printable | devotional thought | Bible study | Christian women | work in progress women

7.  Be prepared.

I’ll be honest, some of my holiday stress often comes from feeling unprepared and overwhelmed.

As a woman who continually over-estimates her ability to get things done, Christmas tends to sneak up on me!

If you’re like me, then you might appreciate this advice to organize and prepare ahead of time so you can experience less stress – that sounds like a good step toward a more peaceful Christmas!

Follow these simple tips to prepare for the holidays to experience less stress and more peace this year! Being Confident of This #peacefulChristmas #lessstress #holidaytips stress-free Christmas | more peace this holiday | Christian women | Christian family | organize your Christmas | practical tips | Christmas advice | prepare for holidays

The truth is you can have a more peaceful Christmas this year, friend, if you so choose!

Don’t buy into the holiday hype and set yourself up for failure.

Say no to busy schedules and fancy gifts. Say no to unrealistic expectations and the Enemy’s attacks on your character and your marriage. Say no to stress and holiday guilt.

Instead, say yes to Christ. He came so that you might have everlasting peace.

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. John 14:27 (NIV)

Your hope and faith in Jesus is the best way to experience a peaceful Christmas!

Jen 🙂

If all you want for Christmas is some peace and joy, then look no further! These 7 tips will help you enjoy the holidays with less stress. #peaceful #Christmas #guiltfree #faith Being Confident of This | identity in Christ | enjoying Christmas | less stress | more joy | more peace | overcoming guilt | encouragement for women | feel like a failure | perfect Christmas | Christian family | marriage | parenting | present | Jesus

 

Filed Under: Christianity Tagged With: Christian living, Christmas, Devotional Thought, Identity in Christ, Jesus, less stress, Marriage, Motherhood, peace

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Hi, I'm Jen: a work in progress. I'm imperfect - a mom of four, pastor's wife, discipler, and sinner saved only by grace. I like to sing, read, write, teach, and smile. I have a heart for encouraging women everywhere to understand God's limitless love for them and what His grace means for everyday living. Welcome! :) Read More…

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