Living Christmas Year-Round

I want to live Christmas year-round with abundant hope, peace, love, and joy, and experience these things not only at Christmastime but all throughout the year.

I was rapidly putting away the Christmas decorations, but lingered on the advent wreath that adorned our dining room table. This wreath was a simple thing I had created, by no means was it fancy, just simple this year. The older I get, the more I’m learning that flashy and fancy don’t always matter, and that the humble and simple things seem to bring peace. As I was wrapping things up to re-box them for next year, I stopped. The feelings that Christmas brings were ones I was hoping I wasn’t also packing away. I didn’t want to lose the hope, peace, love, and joy that is so abundant at Christmas time. I wanted Christmas to live in my heart year-round.

Year-Round Christmas

As I pondered what it would mean to keep Christmas in my heart year-round, I found I had to really study the words and found these verses to help me store them in my heart.

Hope

Hope is defined as a “confident trust with the expectation of fulfillment” (Tada, 2016, 1550). In Romans 12:12, Paul discusses how we are called to be living sacrifices to God. “Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying.” (Romans 12:12 NLT). We have hope because of Jesus. 

Our hope rests in the fact that we will spend eternity in heaven with him. We believe our bodies will heal, our relationships will be mended, and our current situation is nothing compared to what awaits us in heaven. I’m able to keep hope alive throughout the year when I stop fixating on my current problems and rest in Jesus.

Peace

According to my Bible, “a state of tranquility or quiet…freedom from disquieting or oppressive thoughts or emotions” defines peace (Tada, 2016, 1575). Paul continues to encourage us with wise words to live by in Philippians 4:6-7, “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7 NLT). 

This verse has been a comfort to me through health struggles and relationship troubles. When I continuously turn over those things to God, I’m met with a peace that I don’t fully comprehend. This peace doesn’t change my circumstances, but assures me that God is in control of them. 

Love

God defined love as a verb when He gave up Jesus to die for our sins (John 3:16). Love is an action word. In 1 John 3:18, John says, “Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions.” (1 John 3:18 NLT). Jesus tells us in Mark 12:30-31, “‘“And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’” The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.’” (Mark 12:30-31 NLT). We can say we love people—that’s easy—but showing people that you love them is a lot harder. When love is an action word, people receive it. 

In order to follow Jesus’ commandments here we have to act on love. God loved us and we must show Him our love too by turning over our hearts, minds, souls, and strength to Him. We have to be all in with God to fully receive His goodness.

Hope

I feel like when you combine hope, a peace that surpasses all understanding, and love you automatically find joy. Even when our circumstances are less than ideal, we can still find joy in the moment because we have Jesus in our hearts. James, Jesus’ half-brother reminds us that trials and suffering are opportunities for joy. “Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.” (James 1:2-4 NLT). 

When we focus on our circumstances, we will become depressed, but we can find genuine joy when we envelop the hope, love, peace, and joy of Christmastime in our hearts and minds all year. We can rest in peace with joy in our hearts that despite our current situation, one day we will be with Jesus in Heaven because He loves us and died for our sins.

Even though the boxes are packed away, I’m storing up these verses in my heart and mind to celebrate the gifts of Jesus daily, will you join me?

References

Tada, J. E. (Ed.). (2016). Beyond Suffering Bible NLT, Tutone: Where Struggles Seem Endless, God’s Hope Is Infinite. Tyndale House Publishers.

Reflection

1. Do you feel you carry hope, joy, peace, and love with you year-round?
2. Do you feel different at Christmas with these reminders, but could use them year-round?

Share Your Story

Have you enjoyed the “Releasing to God Series”? If so, we would love to hear your story. Check out the submission guidelines and other stories to inspire and encourage you.

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