“As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”
“Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”
– Luke 10:38-42 (NIV)
I am a “Martha.”
I am an avid planner, overflowing with an abundance of ideas just waiting to be put into action. Particularly for a holiday. Or a birthday. Or, for the sake of our purposes here, Christmas.
My elaborate preparations during these weeks leading up to December 25th can bring a lot of joy, community, and gifts… along with unachievable expectations, sleep deprivation, and stress.
It took me some years (and tears) to realize that I have a choice to make as I prepare for Christmas. I can, like Martha, be “worried and upset” about providing so many things or I can take the opportunity to sit and soak in the story, once again, of Jesus coming to the world in the form of a babe out of His great love for us.
And here’s the best part… By choosing not to worry — and opting instead to meet with God in prayer — we are promised PEACE.
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the PEACE of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
– Philippians 4:6-7 (NIV)
This verse encourages us to bring our worries to God in every situation. Whether you are concerned about the elaborate preparations you find yourself overseeing (at home, the office, or school), or how you are going to afford Christmas gifts, or what the celebration will look like without someone you love at the table this year… remember that nothing is too big or too small to take to Him. Although we can feel pulled to plan and prepare and handle those things on our own, Jesus invites us to sit at His feet, give our anxieties over to Him in prayer, and let the overwhelming peace of God fill our hearts.
As I continue to soak in this truth, I am learning not to get so consumed with my plans that I lose sight of their purpose. At the same time, I am learning to embrace the planner in me, and I am increasingly confident that this is who God purposefully made me.
I still plan for parties and gather everyone up for family movies and spend hours choosing the perfect gifts so that I can decoratively wrap them with love. But when those detailed preparations start to unravel and cause me to be worried and bothered — and distracted from the goal of who we are celebrating — I will choose to find peace at Jesus’ feet.
This week, I invite you to do the same. While you may not be able to abandon all of your plans and preparations, I encourage you to reflect on the purpose of your Christmas undertakings. Then, with a thankful heart, bring any anxieties you have to Jesus through prayer, and let Him give you peace.
(This text is an excerpt from Jen’s book, “Embracing Advent: Rediscovering Christmas in the Chaos.” You can find her book here.)
About the Author:
Jen Ludwig is a Jesus-follower, worship leader, and writer. She and her husband live in Southern California and are recent empty-nesters (daily discovering what God has for them in this new season)! Her devotional book, Embracing Advent, encourages us to focus on the hope, peace, joy, and love that Jesus offers at Christmas, and every day of the year.
