So much to do…

There is much to do during this season. There are many expectations too. Often our lists are nothing more than wishful thinking. And the expectations are unrealistic — whether those expectations originate from ourselves or others.

Unrealistic expectations can be abusive — again to our selves or to others. So the question is why do we do this to ourselves and allow others to do it to us?

To create the perfect holiday? To achieve some kind of ideal? To please someone else? To prove something? To prove to ourselves that we are worthy and capable of doing something difficult? Maybe all of that. Maybe none of it. Maybe several unspoken and deep seated things that dwell below our conscious level too.

So much to do…

Yet, not really. Rather, so much that we think we have to do. As a pastor, my plate is pretty full this time of year. Add on a pandemic, and it gets fuller. How do I balance preparations for the added worship with the normal level of busy-ness? I don’t know. I just keep going. And as I complete things, I feel some relief.

So much to do…

Yet, is there really? What if we just simplified things? Christmas wasn’t always a major holiday. And yet amazingly here we are. The addition of the commercialization has had many impacts — a good many being negative as far as I’m concerned. I’m not a big fan of commercial Christmas. I think it sells something fake.

So much to do…

Gosh, how do I have time to write a blog post and a prayer? Because I make time for it is the easy answer. Because I need the time to breathe. Because I need the outlet for my thoughts and for the time to talk with God. If there isn’t time to talk with God, then what’s the point of all of it anyway?

So much to do…

And that’s the problem. We put too much on our shoulders, as if we are the saviors of Christmas. How ironic that we celebrate the birth of Jesus, our Savior, and yet we busy ourselves so much that we make ourselves into idols — saviors of a holiday for family and friends, congregations and businesses, communities and organizations. How ironic that we claim a faith that says that we can do nothing outside of God, and then in the same breath we act as though we don’t actually believe it and do it all ourselves.

So much to do…

Originally published at https://pastormatthewbest.com on December 3, 2020.