3 Ways to Hold onto Hope this Christmas (and 1 Sure Way to Lose It)

Congratulations! You've made it to another Christmas season!

If you have had moments this year wondering if you'd make it to this point, know you're in good company.

For so many of us, it's been a doozy of a year. There have been ups and downs, curves and bumps, and perhaps an accident or two (or ten) on the 2024 speedway. Perhaps you feel like the roller coaster of life will never end. And to end the year in true human fashion, we may even feel stressed and overwhelmed at some point this holiday season.

If that's you, here are three ways to hold onto hope this Christmas.

Step back to see God's faithfulness.

The good news is that in the middle of managing our whack-a-mole lives and a life that is happening faster than we can control, God is faithful to always be in control.

Take some time this Christmas season to step back and out of your busyness and reflect on where God has been faithful to you this year. Could you write it down? Name it. God's faithfulness is yours. It has been His grace-filled Christmas gift to you all year long.

The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases;
his mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness. (Lamentations 3:22-23)

Lean forward into God's promises.

You might feel a little beat down these days. That's not a surprise. The world is a mean place, and life is brutally out of our control. All of this can leave us feeling empty, ineffective, and worthless.

As we celebrate God's coming to earth as a baby, we lean forward into the cradle to see God's promises in a real and perhaps different way. The Apostle Paul says that no matter how many promises God has made, they are "Yes" in Christ (2 Corinthians 1:20).

As we sing the carols, hear the Christmas story, and light the candles this year, lean forward into the face of Jesus, who promises everything God has for you. You are totally forgiven. You are completely valued. You are unconditionally loved. You are incredibly gifted. You are deeply called. You are purposefully sent. You are fearfully and wonderfully made. You are always with God because His Spirit is always with you.

For unto you is born this day, in the city of David, a Savior from the meanness of the world and the brutality of life out of our control. . . He is Christ the Lord.

Through Jesus' life, death, and resurrection, we have so many more promises. Lean into Jesus' cradle this Christmas, and you'll see all the promises God has for you.

Look beyond toward the world to come.

Are you feeling worn out? You are not alone. The world is a mess. Life can really stink. And there is pain and suffering everywhere.

The great news is that Jesus says that He is coming soon (Revelation 22:12)... and not as a baby born wrapped in swaddling cloths.

This is a season when we look forward to the world to come. It's a world where Jesus promises that every tear will be wiped from our eyes. There will be no more death, mourning, crying, or pain. There will be a whole new world (Revelation 21:4).

Look beyond this messy world, stinky life, and ever-present pain and suffering. There will soon be an end when Jesus comes again.

I am praying that one of these ways you can hold onto hope this Christmas has resonated with you.

One sure way to lose hope is to celebrate Christmas as another holiday. Christmases will come and go. The decorations will be taken down. The family and friends will go home. The gifts will break or be forgotten. And you can't take any of it with you when you die. That's no hope at all.

Thankfully, Christmas is not just another holiday - it's the reality that God has come into the world. Joy to the world, the Lord is indeed here with us!

I hope you've enjoyed our fall series of blog articles. I'm taking a rest from writing and will pick it up again in January with fresh content focused on how God has uniquely designed and sent us to live out our callings where we live, work, learn, and play. I can't wait!

In the meantime, have a very merry Christmas season. See you back here on January 12.

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