You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down and when you rise up. Deuteronomy 6:5-7 HCSB
The countdown to Christmas is almost done. Today the stores will be filled with shoppers getting last minute gifts. Tonight, some will be celebrating with families and friends. Children will have a hard time sleeping knowing Santa is on his way.
Tomorrow many will open presents around the tree, overindulge in food, and spend time with family. By the end of the day tomorrow we may be focusing on returning gifts, planning New Year’s celebrations, trying to figure out what to do with all the leftovers or maybe just resting from the busyness of Christmas.
Sadly, Christmas has become so stressful for some people there are several disorders which have been named in association with the season. There is Christmas anxiety which describes the stress from getting the gifts, decorating and doing all the things we must do pre-Christmas.
Then there is Post Holiday Depression which describes a depressive state after Christmas has come and gone. I used to often think that we do so much preparation for one day. We begin shopping and planning in early fall. I can remember catching the sales in January with my mom. We would go out shopping and get a lot of our Christmas gifts in January. That took a lot of stress off of us in the fall.
It’s hard to do that these days because all the “cool” gifts and gadgets often come out just before Christmas. This leaves us scurrying around trying to get our hands on gifts like Furby and Tickle Me Elmo before the stores run out.
If you have ever suffered from Christmas anxiety or post-Holiday depression, you know what I’m talking about. The big question is how you avoid these issues during the holidays.
Our Scripture passage for today may be a good remedy for easing Christmas anxiety and post-Holiday depression. We can begin by loving God with all we’ve got. When you love someone in that way, it doesn’t last a day or two. It’s year- round. It’s not based on what they say or do, it’s unconditional.
The other thing we do when we are in love is we talk about that person all the time. We gush with excitement at the opportunity to see that person or do good things for them. Do you love Jesus like that? Are you excited at the opportunity to go into His house and worship Him?
When we are in love, we want others to experience what we have. Do you share the love of Christ with others? Do you take time to explain to them how they too can experience His awesome love?
I think living this way year-round can go a long way to help with stress, anxiety or depression around Christmas time.
For some we mourn the loss of loved ones that won’t be gathered around the table or tree this year. This is normal, but if you are experiencing something related to Christmas itself like anxiety or depression, maybe you are focusing too much on the celebration and not enough on the one who is being celebrated.
Focus on Jesus 365 days a year. Love Him with all your heart, soul and mind. Teach your children about Him and the great love He has for us. Let them know how He came as a baby to show us how to live and to die to save us from our sins.
Keep Him in your heart throughout the year. Long after the presents are unwrapped, and the decorations are put away continue to celebrate the greatest gift known to man. Share his love with those around you. This may go a long way to help prevent anxiety and stress.
Have a great day!