So Christmas is Over?
Christmas is over. Now what? Taking the Christmas decorations down dredges up conflicting emotions. While the decorations can represent the joy, hope, and light of Christmas and be sad to put away, I get a sense of peace packing them. It could be because I find satisfaction in decluttering. It could also be because I know the hectic schedule prior to Christmas will slow down a little. But the New Year being so close to Christmas gets my heart asking, “Okay God, what’s next? What is Your will for 2026?”
Christmas sets an expectation of hope and wonder, but we’re not supposed to pack those expectations away in a box to be dragged out next year. Reverend Billy Graham said, “Don’t leave Jesus in the manger; don’t remember Him only at Christmas. Instead, learn to walk with Him every day, as you pray and read His Word and ask Him to help you.”
This break before the New Year is an opportunity to sit with God and ask Him, What’s next? What is Your Will for my life in 2026? How can I best serve You and Your kingdom? How can I draw closer to You?
Admittedly, I struggle with sitting still and listening. I may sit in the same chair for a good portion of the day, but I’m not still. My fingers are either furiously typing or the synapses in my brain are rapidly firing. Trying to sit still and empty my thoughts only seems to make things worse. My brain will jump to the overstuffed laundry hamper in the bathroom, or if I took the trash out. Next thing you know, I’ve run down my entire schedule for the day, worried about current events, planned out dinner, and stressed over deadlines. And then it hits me. I was supposed to sit still and listen to God’s plans for my life.
Guilt piles on. What’s wrong with me? What can’t I be still before God?
Elisha heard God in a still small voice. How did he do it?
Elisha was a pent-up ball of anxiety. Queen Jezebel vowed to kill Elisha. He stressed over the Israelites rejecting God’s covenant and feared that all the prophets had been killed. He was told to go stand on a mountain because the Lord’s presence was about to pass by. A great wind passed, smashing rocks, followed by an earthquake and then a fire. God wasn’t in any of those, but then Elisha heard God’s voice in a gentle whisper (1 Kings 19).
Despite the distractions in Elisha’s mind, people out to kill him, hurricane-force winds, an earthquake, and a fire, he still heard God’s whisper. Our God, who parted the Red Sea, can slice through the clutter and craziness in our minds and reach us. The Bible says in Psalm 46:10, “Be still and know that I am God.”
When I focus less on trying to silence my mind and more on who God is, one of two things happens: either I want to fall to my knees in quiet reverence or shout and dance with joy. The second half of verse 10 states, “I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” God wasn’t meant to be packed away and pulled out once a year. He was meant to be worshiped. There is a time for stillness and a time to praise. Jesus said in Luke 19:40, “If they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.”
Don’t leave Jesus in the manger. Let Christ the Lord guide you into 2026. If we focus on knowing that God is God, His peace will fill us, and not only will we learn to be still, but we’ll also learn to exalt God with our body, mind, and spirit. I can’t think of a better way to begin a New Year.
Blessings and God's favor in 2026!