Ways to Avoid a Blue Christmas
Isaiah 61:1-3
I want to speak much more practically than is my habit at Christmas.
Last year when I was putting together my book of Christmas sermons, I felt like I kept going back to the prophecies about Christ’s coming.
Even if I was not intending to preach on them, they just seem to keep coming back up time and time again.
Well, this morning, I am going to reverse that trend.
I want to start with a prophecy and then get practical.
It is difficult to find a balance when celebrating holidays.
For instance, when Mother’s Day or Father’s Day comes around, there are those who bear the wounds and scars from a rough home life.
Those days are anything but happy for them.
Another consideration, especially at Christmas, is that for many these days are filled with memories of those who have gone on to Heaven before us.
That first Christmas is always hard when there is a fresh hole in your heart.
There is also just something naturally built into this time of year that depresses some people.
Psychologists call it Seasonal Affective Disorder, which has one of the greatest acronyms ever – SAD.
They say the shorter days with less sunlight together with being stuck indoors because of the cold help trigger this.
There is relief on the way, though.
Winter Solstice – the shortest day of the year – is next Sunday.
After the days will start lengthening again though the temperature may not improve for a few months.
All of these factor and others that we could list – none of these are a surprise to God.
He knows our frailty of mind and spirit.
He knows that heartaches of the human condition.
It may just be that part of timing of our Christmas celebrations is to provide a counter to what is typically a cold, dark, miserable time of year.
Now we can fill it with joy and thanksgiving as we remember the newborn King in Bethlehem.
Our text is quoted by Christ Himself in Luke 4.
In the synagogue of Nazareth that day He read into the middle of verses 2 and stopped.
He told them, “This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.”
The part He quoted is about hope that springs from His first advent.
He stopped where He did, after “to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord”, because the prophecy continues to describe His second advent.
When that happens, He will defeat the forces of Satan and the Antichirst.
He will save the nation of Israel from their doom and become their king.
He will rule and reign for a thousand years – and oh what a wonderful time that will be!
I wish we had time to talk about it this morning.
But here is what I want you to notice this morning – what happens when Christ comes.
In both cases – His first coming to save us from sin, His second coming to set up His kingdom – He brings joy and comfort to the hopeless and discouraged.
He preaches gladdest of tidings to the meek, the poor, the downtrodden, giving them hope.
He cares for the brokenhearted.
He throws open the gates and frees those who have been enslaved by sin.
His arrival heralds a new era of hope for mankind.
To those mourning their sinful state He pours out His grace.
He empties their hearts of mourning and pours in joy.
When Christ shows up, something happens.
People are not the same when they meet Him.
This world is not the same since He came to Bethlehem 2,000 years ago.
He makes things better.
To the lost He gives salvation.
To the hopeless He gives hope.
To the anxious He gives peace.
To the fearful He gives courage.
To the blind He gives sight.
To the mournful He gives joy.
To the distraught He gives rest.
Christ makes things better!
If you do not know what to do, I know the one who has the answers you seek.
Not just at this time of year, but every day of every year.
He will not turn away any that seek refuge in Him.
This morning, I want to highlight a few practical things that Christ told us to do.
These help us to reset and realign our hearts.
I. Seek Christ First
I believe this is essential in order for everything else to fall into place.
Mat_6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
Too often we have something else as our main focus.
Much of the problem with depression is that it hyper-focuses on the self.
Yes, I could tell you to get some sleep, lose some weight, and start working out.
You would ignore me too just like you ignore your doctor and your spouse.
But if you really want to start seeing improvement in your life, to see true joy return, put God first.
They asked Christ which was the greatest of the hundreds of Old Testaments commandments.
His response is essentially the point I am trying to make here:
Mat 22:37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
Mat 22:38 This is the first and great commandment.
Do you want to have joy this Christmas?
Do you want relief this Christmas?
The first thing you should do is start focusing on the true reason for the seasons.
You may say, but that doesn’t make my problems go away.
It may not, but it will give you what you need to put them in their place and deal with them properly.
Christmas will have a whole new meaning for you when you get into your head and heart that it is not about parties and presents and pageants and such.
All those distractions fade away when we see His glory and His goodness.
In Christ, you will find the hope and strength and comfort that you need.
II. Serve Others Second
I read before where Christ identified the greatest commandment.
He did not stop there, but also included one more – the other side of the coin, if you will.
Mat 22:39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
Mat 22:40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
The most important thing we need to do is to put Christ first.
The second, which will be easier to do once that is taken care of, is to serve others.
I am going beyond just an emotion of love here.
I have explained this before, but the Biblical concept of love is more than a feeling, it is also how we act on it.
I am convinced that our world needs now more than ever is a revival of caring for our fellow man.
We are so divided that there are people we deem unworthy of love or aid.
We are so selfish that everything we do for others is just “priming the pump” to get something back from them.
If you are struggling this Christmastime, and even if you are not, here’s a little advice for you:
Do something meaningful for someone else with no thought of return.
Yes, you could write a check to some organization you barely know to help with some problem that is not personal to you.
I don’t want to downplay that, but if you want to really do something for someone make it meaningful.
We all know people that are having a hard time.
We all know people that are lonely.
Dad and I picked up some stuff for Bro. Griffin this week.
We went in and sat down with the person that gave it to us.
When we get back to the truck Dad look at me and said, “they are lonely”.
Do you know what a visit would do for someone like that?
You say, well I’m too introverted to do that!
Well, just bake them some cookies, set them on their front porch, ring the bell, and run away as fast as you can!
You say, well I can’t cook.
I’ve got two words for you – WAL and MART.
Christ is quoted in Acts 20:35 as saying: “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”
He knows what He is talking about and He set that very example during His time on earth.
Do something for someone.
III. Fill your heart with good things.
What you fill your mind and heart with greatly affects you.
I do not harp on it much, but this is why it is important to stay away from some music, movies, and such.
If I feed myself garbage it will affect what I think and I feel and I do.
Christ spoke along these lines in Luke 6:45
Luk 6:45 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.
Garbage in – garbage out.
Let me give you some advice to fill your heart and mind with good things.
Read your Bible and meditate on what you read.
It is not enough to just ingest it, you need to “chew the cud” and digest it.
Listen to good music – If only I knew of a radio station…
Music is musing – it affects us more powerfully that most realize.
Hang around people that make you a better person.
Unplug.
Our hyper-connectedness is not good.
There are times you need turn off the electronics.
Spend time in nature among God’s Creation.
Identify things that negatively affect you and avoid them.
I am not talking about your electric bill here.
If watching the news you depressed, watching something else.
Learn to say NO
It is one of the most powerful things you can do for yourself.
You do not have to do everything.
CONLUSION
My hope and prayer for everyone this holiday season is that we are all happy and healthy.
We are all in this together and need to watch out for one another.
You are could be exactly what someone needs this Christmas.
The greatest source of joy in Christmas is knowing Christ.