Christmas Stress and God's Rest

I think we can all relate to the familiar feeling of end-of-the-year stress. Whether it’s finishing up the school semester, getting important tasks done at work, finishing up shopping for presents, or planning family Christmas dinners and parties, there’s a lot going on this time of the year! Balancing work and personal obligations can be especially hard when there’s so many demands coming from both sides. It’s easy in times like this to become too productive and overwork ourselves, causing exhaustion and stress that affects our health, relationships, and even our spiritual lives.

Jesus told his followers in John 9:4 to work while it is day, which reminds us to not waste the time we’re given here on Earth. However, we can’t forget how big of an advocate God is for rest! Even God, as powerful and almighty as he is, set aside the seventh day after creation to be a day of rest after seeing all the work he had done (Genesis 2:1-3). That’s how we got the Sabbath. And while designing and creating everything in existence may seem like a much bigger task than what is on our plates, he still wants the same thing for us. Setting aside time to peacefully rest and temporarily let go of commitments allows us to complete them and serve him even better afterwards.

Jesus is our Sabbath, and in him we can find the peace and rest we need to feel rejuvenated after daily struggles take their toll on us. Matthew 11:28 says, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Remember during the Christmas season that God has blessed us with this time to be with our loved ones and to meditate on his love for us. It’s easy to worry about what still needs to be done or what’s coming up in the New Year, but rely on him to bring you through it and give you the rest that you’ve earned!

A Former Resident Supervisor