5 Things to Remember When You're Facing Uncertainty This Holiday Season

1. The Holiday Season Isn’t about the Gifts or Parties

With Thanksgiving and Christmas back-to-back, we can be quick to believe that the season is all about what gifts we give to others and the parties we hold or attend. These aspects of the season can bring uncertainty if our finances aren’t what they were a year ago, or if you feel the pressure to make appearances at parties or hold the best holiday gathering when you’re not sure you can.

However, the essence of Thanksgiving and Christmas is about being thankful for the ultimate gift God has given, which is the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ.

“Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift” (2 Corinthians 9:15).

The indescribable gift is better than any present we could purchase or party we could host. If finances don’t permit giving gifts like you used to, having the extravagant parties you gave before, or going to the efforts to attend certain gatherings, remember the holiday season doesn’t revolve around what you can give, but about what blessings God has already given to you.

2. Family Tragedies Are Helped with the Company of Others

Sadly, many may find the holidays hard because this might be the first year without their loved one, or the holidays always remind them that their loved one is gone. Having experienced the passing of my own father over the Christmas season, the holidays come with a mix of joy and sadness that never really goes away.

Though it might seem easier to face the holidays alone and away from the smiling faces of others, God intends for us to spend time with others who could lift our spirits, make us laugh, and provide some much-needed comfort in our loneliness. Romans 12:10 reminds us to “be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.” This is a good reminder for all of us, not only those suffering the pain of a loss. We all must slow down and show love to one another, especially those dealing with loss and sadness this holiday season, instead of only what our holiday plans are.

3. Family In-Fighting during the Holidays Can Be Handled with Prayer and Peace

Many people struggle with knowing they will have to spend time with family members who could be contentious and encourage unnecessary fighting during a joyous time. This has even led many people to skip this precious time with family, or risk getting involved in fights that make everyone miserable.

In the midst of uncertainty about how to handle conflict with your family during the holiday season, nothing sets a better path forward like prayer. Pray for what is ahead and how you will handle the situation. When you ask God in prayer for calm, peace, and maybe even forgiveness while interacting with difficult family members, He will bless your request and then some. Second, if you go into the gathering or situation seeking to be peaceful, this can be achieved through setting boundaries, keeping the conversation encouraging, or simply walking away if a fight is brewing.

“Bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do” (Colossians 3:13).

4. The Bible Is the Best Resource for Uncertainties about Faith

The Christmas season especially can lead people to question who Jesus is and why He is so important in our lives. Why do we even celebrate His birth each December? The best way to understand who Jesus is and what God shares with us through His birth can be found in the pages of God’s Word.

“And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son” (1 John 5:11).

This verse shares that the reason we recognize Jesus during Christmas, and even on Thanksgiving and New Year’s, is because Jesus is the path to eternal life with God. Because of His willingness to die for our sins, even for people who wanted nothing to do with Him, we have the opportunity to come back to the love of the Lord. Through Jesus, we can reunite with our Father God and return to the path He has set for us – one of blessing and grace.

5. The Future Is Already Written, and It Is Filled with Hope

With the closing of each year and the beginning of the next, some of us can feel uncertain. What will the next year usher into our lives individually, nationally, and even internationally? If you do not have a personal relationship with God, you can feel very unsettled in not knowing what to expect or how to prepare for another year. Or, you could rely on your own strength and intelligence to handle whatever will happen in the future… that is until you don’t know what to expect.

For those who walk out their belief in Christ, we know through the Bible what God has in store for us, and it is hopeful. We will enter a new heaven and earth, eternal life with God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit, which will be greater than anything we have experienced on this earth.

John 3:16 reminds us the important truth of what God provides us through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

The future is hopeful for those who trust in the Lord, wiping away any uncertainty we may have for the future when midnight arrives on New Year’s Day.

The holiday season can be a combination of emotions, from joy and happiness at taking part in the festivities of Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s, to sadness, pain, and struggle due to loss, financial challenges, and questions about the future.

But what these five perspectives are to remind us is that we are not alone in our uncertainties, believing we are adrift in a sea of hardship that no one can help us overcome. God is there in our lives, made possible through the resurrection of Jesus. He is guiding our lives, moment by moment, through the Holy Spirit.

So, this holiday season, make the change from being uncertain about the ebb and flow of life to one filled with hope for what’s ahead, found only through the Lord.