DEALING WITH HOLIDAY EMOTIONS
LUKE 10:38-42
Introduction: Perhaps no other season lends itself to such a myriad of emotions as Christmas. The holidays can be a time of stress, conflict, frustration, and dissatisfaction causing emotions to intensify. Holiday Stress for many is all too real. Martha and Mary experienced many of the same emotions we experience at Christmas when Christ came to their house for dinner. What are these emotions and how do we deal with them?
I. The Emotions of Christmas
A. Anxiety
1. The hustle and bustle of the Christmas season can be a time of tremendous stress and anxiety. Everyone running around at a frantic pace trying to get everything ready for the Holidays. Worrying about what Christmas gifts to buy, getting the house clean, making out Christmas Cards, baking cookies and planning the big Christmas dinner all add to the holiday anxiety.
2. The joy and good will of Christmas turns into anxiety as individuals worry about the ability to buy expensive presents and host family and friends at their home. We feel there is too much to do and not enough time to do it. We may be struggling with debt that will only get worse when all the credit card bills come in January.
3. Anxiety often is accompanied with depression.
4. Depression happens when our grand holiday expectations collide with the reality of squabbling in-laws, sullen teenagers, disappointing gifts, missed loved ones, and over-limit credit cards. It happens as soon as we hear the sound of relatives resuming their old familiar, dysfunctional roles in the family. – copied
5. Luke 10:40a “But Martha was distracted with much serving (by her many tasks)…”
B. Anger
1. Anxiety and depression often give way to anger.
2. The trappings of Christmas season often portray the holiday season as a festive and fun time, free from troubles. In reality, however, stress, family difficulties and anger quite often escalate during this time.
3. Someone wrote, “It’s hard to be a Christian in the last few weeks before Christmas, when the Christmas rush really gets bad. It’s hard to really act like a Christian when you’re desperately trying to find a parking spot at the mall... It’s hard not to lose your temper... It’s hard to turn the other cheek.” - copied
4. Note the tone of Martha’s words in Luke 10:40b “...Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me."
5. Martha was angry because Mary wasn’t doing what she felt Mary ought to be doing. She actually scolds the Lord for Mary’s actions.
6. Anger is never without a reason, but seldom with a good one. - B. Franklin.
C. Sadness
1. For many there is a sadness that comes as they have experienced the death of a loved one, a divorce in the family, the serious illness of a family member, or other circumstances too numerous to mention. The holiday season for some families, becomes a time that adds focus to the sorrow.
2. This sentiment is expressed in the blog writings of a young girl, “I really don’t know why but every year when Christmas is coming I start to feel sad. I like the lights in the street and that atmosphere but I feel alone... maybe if I had someone to spend Christmas with it will be different... but I am alone..” - copied
3. Martha allowed herself to become a worry wart fussing over every detail of a meal and to miss the joy of fellowship with her guest.
4. It is easy for us to miss what is going on around us - to get so cluttered with things - to get so busy getting things right - that we fail to enjoy the precious opportunities God places in front of us.
D. Joy
1. Luke 10:39 “And she (Martha) had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word.”
2. Mary takes time to sit quietly at the feet of Jesus, listening to His word, enjoying being in His presence.
3. Sitting at His feet was the ancient posture of disciples or learners.
4. It indicates she was His disciple; she wanted to learn from Him.
5. She was more concerned about being a good disciple, than a good hostess.
6. Mary had the discipline to seek first things first, putting the better before the good! – Luke 10:42 “But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her."
II. Dealing with the Stress
A. Remember Why You Are Doing What You Are Doing.
1. Martha got so busy serving Jesus she forgot to spend time with Jesus.
2. We can get so busy with our preparations for Christmas, and our participation in Christmas that we forget what is most important to spend time with Christ.
3. By focusing on those things of lesser importance we miss what is the most important.
4. Are we allowing ourselves to be distracted by things that may be good within themselves?
a. Our duties as husbands and wives, fathers and mothers?
b. Our responsibilities to work and community?
5. Christ warned against allowing such things to take precedence in our lives.
6. Matthew 10:37 “He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.”
B. Don’t let others steal your joy.
1. Colossians 2:16 “So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or Sabbaths.”
2. John Powers, Pastor of First Baptist Church of Norfolk, Virginia, A seasoned pastor encouraged seminary students to maintain their joy in the ministry even in difficult times by exercising the power of choice. He stated that Satan, seeks to steal joy from God’s servants in four ways -- problems, people, possessions, and pressures. "Problems and ministry are synonymous," he said, emphasizing that understanding the difference between happiness and joy is paramount. Joy is different from happiness because the latter depends on "happenings," said Powers. "People have a way of stealing your joy, if you let them. There is one constant in ministry: people are going to be people." Powers warned against depending on people for joy. "Also, possessions will steal our joy," he said, "when you focus on stuff, things, [and] what somebody else has you may not have." Pressure is great from the outside because of lost people "hurling" toward hell, he said, adding that expectations from inside the church and personal struggles within have the potential to "siphon" joy from ministers. Then Powers warned seminary students and faculty about the seven siphons of spiritual joy. JOY IS LOST WHEN: -- Christian servants have words without actions; -- Christian servants become busy without purpose; -- relationships fail to provide mutual nourishment; -- Christian servants serve without a Sabbath; -- spiritual gifts are used without God’s power; -- Christian servants possess great theology without adequate spirituality; -- Christian servants exercise faith without self-examination and accountability. Paul refused to allow joy from his heart to be siphoned, and he chose joy in the midst of the crisis he faced, said Powers. "This discomfort that he was experiencing could not compare with the ultimate experience that Christ was being exulted in his body," he said, concluding that for Paul, " ... to live is Christ and to die is gain." - copied
C. Spend time sitting at the feet of the Savior.
1. Luke 10:42 “But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that GOOD PART, which will not be taken away from her.”
2. We can know the overpowering peace and joy which Christ’s Presence alone gives when we spend time focused on Him and His Word.
3. Psalm 16:11 “You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”
4. We need to develop a listening heart, no matter what we’re doing. We must learn to go through our day with our inner ear tuned to God’s "still, small voice."
5. Many years ago a little boy was given a priceless possession. His grandfather not too long before he died gave him his gold pocket watch. How he treasured it and his grandfather said, "Now you treasure this. You take care of this and every time you look at this and you open it up, I want you to know how much I love you and how much you mean to me." Well one day he was working at his father’s ice plant and he lost the watch amid all the ice that was on the floor and all the sawdust; he could not find it. He was ankle deep in the stuff and he couldn’t find it. And he searched and he started to scratch and he became frantic but he couldn’t find the watch and then he suddenly realized what to do. He stopped scurrying around and he became very still, so that in the silence he could hear the watch ticking. God has given each of us the priceless gift of joy and union with Jesus Christ and how easy it is to lose our joy in scurrying around, trying to make things happen, yet it is always here to find, if we will pause and listen to the beautiful presence of the abiding Christ. - copied
Disclaimer: Source material for this sermon has been gleaned from many different sources. I have attempted to acknowledge these sources whenever possible. Please feel free to use this message as God’s Holy Spirit directs your heart.
