Every year, this month rushes by in a blur. We’re trying to take in all the beauty and wonder of Christmas, while remembering the reason for it’s wonder. And yet, we’re often distracted by the parties, the gift exchanges, the family arrangements, the overwhelm.
I keep thinking about a phrase in that one Christmas song…”a weary world rejoices.”
We are weary, aren’t we.
I am weary.
This year has highlighted the “weary” in almost every area of my life.
Our culture prioritizes and glorifies unsustainable lifestyles. We love to be busy enough to distract us from the feelings and questions that linger beneath the chaos. Perhaps, if we just keep layering on the overwhelm, we won’t have to wonder if we measure up, if we actually trust God, if we even have any remnants of our faith left.
If we dare to slow down, not only will we feel the weight of that weariness we’ve been covering up, we might actually have to deal with it.
As believers, it’s so easy to say that Jesus is our source of peace, but it’s another thing entirely to live that.
How can a weary world begin to rejoice?
How can my weariness be brought to joy?
It’s not about doing “enough” to accomplish our way out of weariness…I believe that is the origin of our weariness in the first place. It’s about the hope we place our trust in…or neglect to. The promise of Christ – what we are ever reminded of each time December rolls around – is the hope in which our faith lies. It’s not about the expectations we feel from the church rules we grew up with (a conversation for another day, perhaps), or the expectations we’ve placed upon ourselves.
Let’s be real for a moment here. What is keeping you from pursuing and experiencing God’s peace?
Have you been filled with striving and anxious action in attempts to prove your faith to yourself and those around you? May I say, to you and myself, that is not faith. That will not result in peace. That will not result in rejoicing.
Maintaining peace in our lives requires action…not a striving, but a surrendering. Sometimes, we need to fight for our peace…not through striving but by surrendering whatever is consuming or chipping away at our peace. Instead of getting caught up in trying to fix that area on your own, try sitting for a moment and inviting Jesus into that place. Seek His peace and presence in the areas where you have been striving for so long.
Caffeinated Theologian 