Learn the secrets to true thankfulness and keep the spirit of the season alive with these three easy-to-use tips to remain thankful during the holidays.
The Hustle and Bustle Is Here
With Thanksgiving behind us and the Christmas shopping season in full swing, it can be easy to allow consumerism and desire to overshadow the holidays. Whether you are trying to make everything perfect, trying to keep up with the proverbial Jones’, or simply trying to make the holidays magical, it can be challenging to continue with a thankful heart in a post-Thankgiving time.
Whether it’s the post-turkey coma finally coming on, guilt around one too many slices of pie, or even the lack of daylight hours playing with our heads and hearts, the hustle and bustle of the most wonderful time of year can be straining on us all.
Yet, just like we teach our kids to persevere and push on, especially when things are tough, we adults need to do the same. I’m not talking about ignoring true seasonal issues like Seasonal Affective Disorder, or putting on a fake smile when relatives show up… I’m talking about cultivating a heart that is determined to remain thankful during the holidays.
Why Remaining Thankful During The Holidays Is Important
In order to cultivate anything, my friend, you have to be willing to do the work to make it grow. It won’t always be easy, and there may even be times when you feel like you are going backward, but like anything worthwhile, cultivating a thankful heart (especially during the holidays) is a worthwhile process.
Not only are you investing in yourself but you are showing your family just how essential a grateful heart is, a lesson that will impact generations as your kids grow and hopefully raise their family with a thankful heart.
This is kingdom work, my friend, even if it feels a bit like just trying to get through the holiday season with a smile on your face. You are working hard to build up your home like the Proverbs 14 woman by leading by example.
3 Tips for Remaining Thankful During The Holidays
Remember to spend time in the Word daily.
If you don’t already have dedicated time to read your Bible, this, my friend, is your invitation to start one. December is a great month to read through the Gospel of Luke (24 chapters long) but feel free to start wherever you are led. Proverbs and James are two of my personal favorite sections.
The point, however, is not to add one more thing to your ever-growing to-do list.
The point here is to gain strength in the Word. To find joy, peace, and compassion within pages of Scripture as you recall what Jesus did for you. To point your eyes toward Christ while the world tells you to shop ‘til you drop and show your love with gifts.
So whether you opt for reading an entire chapter or more day, or simply find yourself digging through looking for verses related to thankfulness, spending time in the Bible daily is the first (and best) tip for you this holiday season.
Find contentment where you are.
This one, my friend, feels almost harsh to write, and I struggle with putting it here… yet, we are told to find contentment wherever we are in Philippians chapter 4 (side note: this is also a fantastic book to start your daily reading in!). Paul is writing from jail and has just wrapped up telling the church at Phillipi to rejoice in all things, to focus on the things that are good, and to not be anxious about anything, and then he tells them that he has learned to be content.
You know this means that we too can learn to be content? In whatever state we are in. Whether our home is filled to the brim with gifts and merriment or whether we are celebrating the birth of Christ on a smaller scale.
Whether we are enjoying a small family dinner or partaking in a larger (and possibly more stressful) gathering.
And whether we have the social-media-worthy celebration that truly only exists behind expertly crafted images or not.
Finding contentment and learning to be grateful and thankful, is a skill, my friend. And while it’s not always pleasant, Hebrews 12 reminds us that it will produce a harvest of righteousness.
Keep your eyes on Christ.
Yup. Tip #3. Keep your eye on Christ, my friend. Our modern celebrations seem far too often to forget to keep Christ in Christmas and yet that’s right where He should be.
So while you work to budget and balance, wrap and organize, cook and clean, be sure to keep your heart focused on the true meaning of the holiday season.
When You Remain Thankful During the Holidays You Get The Best Gift of All
While salvation comes from the Lord, when you choose to remain thankful during the holidays, you, my friend, get the best gift of all – peace. No longer are you bound by the chaotic drum the world plays urging you to push on for more. Instead, you march to the beat of the peaceful drum of joy, contentment, peace, and thankfulness that stretches further than any holiday wish list.
So be sure to spend time in the Word this holiday season, work on being content with whatever situation you find yourself in, and always, keep your eyes focused on Christ this (and every) holiday season.
Kelly is a homeschooling mama living in Maine with her husband of more than 20 years and their four children, two of whom are homeschool graduates, along with their five pets. She is a veteran homeschooler who is passionate about helping the homeschool community simplify their homeschool, find their authentic learning style, and embrace the chaos that often comes with raising a family. Offering homeschool help, hope & humor, you can follow Kelly online at Hope In The Chaos as well as on various social media platforms: Facebook | Facebook Group| Instagram | Pinterest | Twitter.
