The wrestle between Christmas cheer and sadness about the state of the world

Written By Rachel Ann

It's time the time of year when I'm only listening to Christmas music. I'm immersing myself in a Christmas winter wonderland for the next few weeks, even though climate change is making NYC 59 degrees today, my to do list is extremely long, and the world continues to be going array. 😖

 I usually feel ridiculous when I do stuff like this. 

 Who do I think I am to be able to smile when so much sadness is happening around me?

Am I actually making a difference in this world if I still have hope that things can be different?

How can I mourn with those who mourn if I'm singing “Joy to the World” with such gusto?

 Sometimes I feel like a fraud or like I'm so submersed in my privilege. Is it bad to fight the good fight, but also want to shield myself from it too?

From the conversations I’ve been having with clients and friends, it seems like I’m not alone in thinking those things. So I took it to God in prayer and that was a timeeee.

The Holy Spirit & your mood

He reminded me to not ignore what's happening in or around you, but to use the Holy Spirit power within you to set your mood. Sins of injustice, harming the environment, very flawed justice systems, and maybe even the sin you're dealing with personally will all indeed come and try to spoil your well-being. Sin is heavy and wants to overwhelm you, dare I say even make it difficult for you to function at all. 

So take a moment and think about what it means to have the power of the Holy Spirit in you - how would that change your confidence? Self-esteem? Hope for the future?

My hunch is that those things (and more) will increase!

Stay in your lane

And with that, we can rely on the God of justice, hope, light, love, and truth to do only what He can do. Your role is to use what He gave you to make the world a better place in Jesus' name. That looks like praying, petitioning, protesting, spending money on ethical organizations, wondering, preparing, being a safe person for people to speak with, fighting the good fight, rejoicing with those who rejoice, creating safe spaces, encouraging others, and carrying each others burdens.

 So while it will feel weird to have moments of joy when there's so much sadness, be reminded that your joy doesn't mean you’re not sad. It means you can hold on to two things that are true at the same time and trust God with it all.

Give it to God

One thing that comes to mind in all this is that we often forget how free we feel when we're vulnerable about our internal world. When you take off the filters and let it all out, you’ll feel lighter and a tad hopeful. Even without coming up with a plan or solution, you’re still feel a bit better. By releasing all that was swimming around, you’ll be able to feel free and understand the situation clearly.

So take a few moments and ask yourself what you need to give to God - your job, relationships, financial situation, emotional wellness, stressful neighbor. Let it all out and see how God shows up for you.

Here are some affirmations to help ground you in God’s care for you and will bring you one step closer to casting your cares onto Him:

God can carry my Christmas joy and holiday stress.

God can carry my peace which is beyond understanding and my worry about the future that is quite understandable.

God can carry my new years excitement and frustration
about inauguration day.

God can carry it all.

I invite you to let Him carry you. May you find Him in the midst of your many dichotomous emotions and feel the power of the Holy Spirit.💜

Need more support? Lemme help you sis:

Rachel Ann
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