In the recent weeks leading up to Christmas this year, I have had several conversations with various friends and there’s some heavy wrestling and struggles with the Christmas season. While Christmas is often associated with festivities, celebration, parties, joy, and pleasure, it can also be a season with lots of challenges. For example, I have friends who are in the midst of relocation and calibrating new traditions and routines. I’m also in the group of people whose parents are aging and what has been the traditional norm isn’t really true for this year or the future. I have other friends who have lost a loved one around the holidays, so this time of year reminds them of that loss.
If you are a person who finds the Christmas holidays to be a struggle, or you know someone that has a hard time in this season, please be gentle. I write this because many times, we feel like we should be festive and joyful, but that can be difficult. So, on top of struggling with this holiday, we layer on guilt or expectations that go with this time of year and that can make things even more difficult.
So let’s be gentle, let’s decide to be kind and gracious with ourselves and others. Sometimes, the best gifts we can give ourselves or others is grace, kindness, patience, tenderness, and compassion. In order to do this, it could be helpful to consider that God is kind, tender, patient, compassionate and gracious with us.
Here are some verses that you might find helpful for reflection and absorbing:
- Psalm 145:9, “The Lord is good to all, And His mercies are over all His works.”
- Nahum 1:7, “The Lord is good, A stronghold in the day of trouble, And He knows those who take refuge in Him.”
- Lamentations 3:22-23, “The Lord’s lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, For His compassions never fail. 23 They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.”
- Jeremiah 31:3, “The Lord appeared to him from afar, saying, ‘I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore I have drawn you with lovingkindness.’”
- Isaiah 30:18, “Therefore the Lord longs to be gracious to you, And therefore He waits on high to have compassion on you. For the Lord is a God of justice; How blessed are all those who long for Him.”
For some practical ideas, here are some ways that you could experience God’s tender affection toward you and people with whom you’re close:
- Maybe you would find it helpful to take one of these verses and pray it over yourself when you wake up and when you go to bed.
- Perhaps you could pick one of these verses and text or email it to a friend or loved one who is struggling in this season.
- Think about picking one of these verses and making it the screen saver (or home screen) on your phone.
- Write out one of these verses on a sticky or notecard and tape it to your bathroom mirror.
- You could also pick one of these verses and post it on your social media stuff as an overall general encouragement.
I think there are lots of ways to be gentle with ourselves and others during this season. Let’s choose to actively keep gentle at the top of our thoughts and feelings throughout the holidays!
