Anyone stressed? I Googled "Christmas Stress" and found over 9 million results. These searches turned up articles like, "Making the Most of Stress at Christmas," "Top Tips for a Stress-Free Christmas," and my personal favourite (please note the sarcasm here), "Step-By-Step Guide to a Perfect Christmas." In case you thought we were in a battle against stress, there was an article called "Combat Christmas Stress." Or perhaps it is related to typhoid fever - "Innoculate Against Christmas Stress."

A few years ago British retailer ASDA experimented with telling jokes over the PA to help reduce stress at Christmas. As the music faded, customers heard groaners like, "How long should a reindeer's legs be? Just long enough to reach the ground." Later they heard this Christmas classic: "Who is never hungry at Christmas? The turkey - he's always stuffed."

With all the stress there can be at this time of year its hard to believe that the angel said, "I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people..." (Luke 2:10)

For some people Christmas is not good news or great joy. It is rushing around. It is pressure to provide a "perfect Christmas," (or at least make it better than last year). It is worrying whether uncle Judd will embarrass everyone. Or it is loneliness and depression.

Ever since I can remember, I've heard people say that we need to simplify Christmas and reduce our expectations to reduce stress. The call to simplify is older than I am. Watch the Christmas classics or read the old literature and we find it goes back a long time.

The key to reducing Christmas stress, however, is not to simplify. It may be good advice, but it is not the main issue. We need to look to the angel who spoke these words for the solution.

"Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord." (Luke 2:11) The good news of great joy was not a pre-Christmas sale, the staff party at work, finding the perfect gift, turkey dinner at grandma's, the candlelight service, a favourite family tradition, or the presents under the tree. Its not even the boxing day sale.

The good news from the angel is still the good news today - Jesus. Here's the thing - we can worship Christmas, or we can worship Jesus. If we worship Christmas, then we'll have stress up to our eyeballs. But if we worship Jesus we discover a new peace about Christmas which doesn't depend on getting it all right. After all, it was Jesus whom the angels proclaimed. It was Jesus whom the shepherds went to see. Jesus is Good News and Great Joy.

Hope this helps. Be OnFire,

Troy

Dec. 18, 2006.