This time of year my to-do list blows up like a balloon. I spend most of December attempting to leak some air out of the thing little by little until finally it looks a lot like me—stretched and deflated.
Every year I tell myself I’m going to rest. Cut back on unnecessary traditions. Rein in my spending. Forego all the hype.
And yet somebody has to stuff the stockings and frost the birthday cake. So for busy moms at Christmas time, focusing on Jesus might mean less resting and more doing all the stuff that allows our families to rest and celebrate.
How can a mom catch a break? I mean, seriously, where can we find our own peace on Earth?
“LORD, you establish peace for us; all that we have accomplished you have done for us” (Isaiah 26:12).
The faulty thinking we moms can fall prey to is this: It’s all up to me.
The baking, the wrapping, the decorating, shopping, rehearsing, party planning, and perfect-family-photo shooting (and shooting and shooting and shooting—will you please get your fingers out of your nose, and no rabbit ears behind Dad’s head, thank you).
We think we are in charge of our doing. But the Bible says God has already done the doing for us.
He establishes our peace. It’s our job to grab hold of it.
How?
Conventional wisdom says stop doing so much. But biblical wisdom says stop—to thank God for what He has already done.
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6–7, emphasis added).
So by all means, ladies, frost those cookies. And thank the Lord for grocery stores where sugar and flour and butter are abundant, and for sticky little hands that beg to help.
Stay up late bargain hunting or slapping scotch tape onto boxes. But don’t forget to praise God for your bank account, however big or small, and for children whose squeals of delight on Christmas morning are like sweet music in a momma’s ears.
Yes, sisters, feel free to plan that office party, practice those carols, and handwrite each and every stinking address onto 100 envelopes. Then lift up a heart of gratitude to the Maker of the Universe who calls us to fellowship with friends and loved ones and never leaves us lonely.
That is the path to peace this Christmas season and all year round. Will you make it your daily practice? We just might find the hype was never the problem. Tuning our hearts amidst the hype can make all the merry difference.
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Do you want to learn more about how you can conquer your busyness (and your crankiness, anxiety, exhaustion, etc.) from the inside out? My new book, The SuperMom Myth: Conquering the Dirty Villains of Motherhood, is an invitation to toss the SuperMom cape and rest in the power of Jesus. It’s now available through booksellers nationwide.
Blessings,
Becky Kopitzke
