It’s Thanksgiving Week!

It’s that time of year!

Thanksgiving is only a few days away.

It kicks off the official holiday season.

Before we know it, Christmas will be here!

Lots of people say it’s the most wonderful time of the year.

For many women it’s often the hardest.

Extra cooking, guests, shopping, holiday parties, and events take a lot of our time, energy, and effort.

I could get tired just thinking about it!

 

Part of what drives us during this season is a desire to show our family how much we care and to give them a great family holiday filled with lots of memories and love.

That is a good thing as long as we keep it in check and don’t let it overwhelm us.

Unfortunately, too often we get so busy trying to get it right we lose sight of why we’re doing it.

This cheats us out of enjoying it and defeats the purpose of even doing it.

 

One of the other things that drives us this time of year is fear.

We’re afraid we’ll forget something, that someone won’t like the gift we gave them, or that the holiday dish we worked so hard on will not turn out right.

 

Sometimes we are afraid of our own inadequacy.

We’re afraid we won’t measure up.

We’re afraid our way of celebrating the holidays won’t be as good as our partner expects.

Or, that we won’t have what it takes to pull off a good holiday experience.

 

And sometimes, just sometimes, that fear wears a mask called dread.

We dread seeing that uncle who’s probably going to make a terrible joke at our expense.

We dread seeing that aunt who likes to make negative comments about our weight, whether we have children, or whether we are married yet.

We dread seeing that relative who likes to remind everyone how much better they live than the rest of the world.

We dread all the work we’ll have to do, all the extra chores, the late night cooking – afraid we’ll be so tired we’ll either not get it right or be too tired to enjoy it.

We dread fighting all those crowds to hunt the perfect gift for cousin whoever, uncertain if just the right item will still be available.

 

Dread can sometimes be a code word for:

“Will I measure up? Will I have too much burden put on me? Can I handle it all? Do I have what it takes to do all this? Do I even know what I’m doing?”

It can also be a code word for, “I’m afraid I can’t get this right.”

 

Here’s the thing about fear, no matter what mask it wears –

Fear is the great divider.

It divides us from our faith, causing us to focus on our feelings instead of what we know to be true about God and His willingness to help and comfort us.

It divides us from our Father God by causing us to spend time running in circles focusing on what we are trying to get done instead of focusing on who and what matters – Worshiping and looking to God for direction.

It divides us from our peace and tells us we must perform to be okay, causing us to forget that it is who we are as a child of God that makes us okay – not how well we have performed in a task.

 

When fear divides us it weakens us.

That’s not how God intends us to live our lives.

 

Look at what Paul wrote to Timothy in 2 Timothy 1:7 –

For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. (NKJV)

 

The fear and dread you might be feeling concerning the holidays (or anything else) is not from God. He didn’t give it to you.

He gave us His power to overcome our fear.

He gave us His love to comfort us and for us to share with others.

He gave us a sound mind – a mind that is stable and calm because it focuses on Him, not the fear.

 

Listen to Psalm 56:3 –

 When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. (NIV)

 

Whenever we are afraid we are to put our trust in Him.

Not in ourselves.

Not in our talents.

Not in our abilities to host the perfect holiday event or buy the perfect gift.

In Him.

Always.

 

Trusting in God doesn’t mean things will always turn out the way we want them to or think they should.

It doesn’t mean that all the pain will immediately go away.

It does mean that He will be there to help us with the things we do.

It means He will be there to hold, guide, and love us through the pain.

 

When we begin our holiday preparations we should start with the most important first step – going right to the source of our strength and power – the throne of God.

Hebrews 4:15 (NIV) tells us that Jesus, our High Priest, can sympathize with our weaknesses because He was tempted in every possible way, just like we are.

Because of this He gets it.

Jesus has been there.

He knows what it’s like to be tempted to give in to fear.

The difference is, Jesus never gave in to a single temptation, not even once.

That’s why He can stand in for us before God.

Because of this we can come boldly to God’s throne in prayer and receive mercy and grace when we need it – every time we need it. Hebrews 4:16 (NIV)

 

Whenever you are feeling worried, fearful, or dreading something, go right to God in prayer, telling Him what’s on your heart.

Don’t worry – no matter what it is, He can handle it. He’s a big God,

Ask Him to help you navigate all the twists and turns the holidays are going to hold.

Then, allow His peace which surpasses all understanding to guard your heart and mind as you relax and enjoy the holiday season, trusting Him to walk you through it..

Then you will truly be able to say…

It’s the most wonderful time of the year!