Permission To Be the Real You at Christmas (and Year-Round)

It’s December, and Advent, that time of preparation…and peace…of our hearts and minds. And my intentions are good.

Letting go of some things. “Doing” less. “Being” more. That’s what everyone is agreeing to. So I do to. 

Yet for me, I say I’ll be, but I end up doing. And I grow frustrated: Oh, why can’t I quit doing? Everyone else is. 

But may I be honest here? I’m not really frustrated with my doing: I’m frustrated that I’m frustrated about it. You see, I enjoy doing. God cut me from the mold of my dad, who is a doer. 

I enjoy making one more batch of truffles, hauling up one more tub of ornaments, writing one more Christmas letter. I enjoy the preparation for the celebration.

The voices out there, the people I admire, the ones who love Jesus and want to serve Him with all they have and are, they are saying, Be still. Stop doing. At least slow down.

We’re All Different

And I try.

But I pray better when bent on mindless tasks like walking or cleaning.

I am happiest when making treats to give away.

I carry more of the Christmas spirit when I steep in stillness in the presence of God for little snippets of time and then pour out His love and grace in the act of doing.

Resting in God is important. But everyone rests in different ways. My husband tends to chide me, “Sit down and relax.” My reply is always, “I relax better when I’m doing.”

Some of us carry busyness to an extreme, and I admit to being a recovering over-doer. I certainly won’t advocate for that. It is soul nurturing to sit and let the silent of the night overwhelm your senses. It is important to incorporate quiet time, Bible study, and prayer.

But is it possible that we can carry stillness to an extreme as well?

We must be careful, not to project a good standard for some to be the standard for all.

We must be careful, not to project a good standard for some to be the standard for all. Click To Tweet

Be the Real You

God created us all with different personalities and preferences.

For those of us gifted with the desire to serve, stillness may be better incorporated in shorter time slots. For us, preparing treats, decorating, entertaining, ministering may be a blessing, not a chore.

God did praise Mary for sitting at His feet and listening to His teaching (Luke 10:38-42), yet He also commended her for serving Him by anointing Him with fragrant oil (John 12:3-8).

There is a time to be still with God. There is a time to rest in His presence. We should let the love of Christ invade and fill our days.

If that means you need to cut your to-do list in half, then by all means, do it.

But for me, resting with God just might include making one more batch of peanut butter cups.

So may I encourage you this Advent season, ask God to direct your stillness, your worship, your preparation. Don’t just blindly project other peoples’ standards on yourself.

Open your heart and soul to be filled with the spirit of Christmas and the love of Jesus Christ. But do it in the way that is most meaningful to you.

Open up to be filled w/ the spirit of Christmas & love of Jesus. But do it as uniquely you. Click To Tweet

In worshiping the Lord at Christmas and beyond, be who He created you to be.

“Then Mary took a pound of fragrant oil — pure and expensive nard — anointed Jesus’ feet, and wiped His feet with her hair. So the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil.” John 12:3

Reflection: How about you? Do you find yourself feeling nearer the Lord when you are being still or doing?

Since beginning over 3 years ago, I’ve counted more than 3,000 gifts in Ann Voskamp’s Joy Dare! What a blessing! So here we go: #3408–3428, read my entire list by clicking here.