Everyone wishes for a special and meaningful holiday season. We seek happiness, great memories, joyful and peaceful moods, and laughter. We work hard to create experiences for our families. This can feel overwhelming, exhausting, and disappointing. But there’s an escape from this way of thinking and doing. There’s a different path to Christmas joy.
This morning, I remember two distinct moments in the book of Matthew where Jesus reminds us of a new way to live. First consider his words in Matthew 11:28-30:
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Even now, you can exchange your weary burdens for Jesus’s light and easy rest. That’s the first step. It’s a simple act of faith. The second step? Consider Matthew 6:33. Jesus has been teaching here about worry and how much we fret about everything from food to clothes. He even made the astonishing statement about prayer and how “the Father knows what you need before you ask him.” So remember that God knows exactly what you need today. Jesus then states this about all those things we want and need:
But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
There’s a new order here: We rest in Jesus, seek first Him, and everything else follows in perfect alignment. If you’ve tried and tried to build a perfect situation for yourself—whether the holiday season, your relationships, your own happiness—(and you’re disappointed every time) try a new recipe for Christmas joy.