The Pressure of the Holidays
How do you handle pressure?
Verse of the Day
In my distress I prayed to the Lord, and the Lord answered me and set me free. The Lord is for me, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me?
Today’s Devotional
The holidays can be overwhelming. There are decorations, shopping, wrapping, cooking, preparing for guests or traveling, and family. I’m sure this list is far from exhaustive. And while I think that our intentions are good, the stress and pressure that many of us feel during the holidays does not align with the intended purpose of the celebration of Jesus’ birth.
So what are we to do?
We look to Jesus for His example.
Recently I was reading John 6 as part of a Bible reading plan. The following passage comes after Jesus has just fed a huge crowd of 5,000 men plus women and children with only 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish.
“When the people saw him do this miraculous sign, they exclaimed, “Surely, he is the Prophet we have been expecting!” When Jesus saw that they were ready to force him to be their king, he slipped away into the hills by himself.” (John 6:14-15)
When I read this passage, I felt the Holy Spirit prompting me to really look at it. What is the example here?
Jesus’ solution to unnecessary pressure was SOLITUDE.
He slipped away to be alone. Presumably to spend time with the Father.
What a beautiful example He shows us in His Word.
So now we have an example to follow in the midst of any pressures we feel, whether those pressures are coming from others or from within. Slip away. Get alone and quiet. Sit with the Father. Breathe. Be still.
If Jesus needed to do this, how much more do we need to practice solitude?
In the spirit of full disclosure, this practice is very difficult for me. My default is either moving fast or being very lazy. One extreme or the other. It takes effort and asking God for help to get me to intentionally practice solitude. But as I have been practicing, the pressure of this life feels less heavy.
Jesus came to show us how to be human. And His example of how to handle unnecessary pressure is quite counter-cultural. The world seems to tell us (or we tell ourselves) that we will be able to breathe when we get everything done. Jesus is showing us a different solution altogether. We can choose to simply slip away to focus on God’s God-ness. Maybe it’s for 5 minutes or maybe for a day. What a beautiful invitation.
Father, whether our stress is holiday related or not, help us to follow the example of Jesus. Help us to be brave enough to make time to just be with you. Help us to breathe in your Presence as the answer to any pressures we feel. Help us to practice something that helps us to remember not only your sovereignty, but also your tender, compassionate care for us. Help us to live and breathe these verses:
In my distress I prayed to the Lord, and the Lord answered me and set me free. The Lord is for me, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me?
Even when the “people” pressuring me is the one I see in the mirror.
Journal Prompts
Answer only the questions that seem relevant to you today.
How do you typically handle pressure or stress?
If you have ever practiced solitude in the past, how did it go?
How can you accept this invitation to solitude?
Holy Spirit, as I sit with the Father in silence, what do you want me to know today?