Christmas is coming and everybody wants a piece of you.
Christmas worship is supposed to be mind-blowing, but the in-laws are coming and the house needs to be clean. You’re family calendar lists 3 holiday parties, 4 kids Christmas programs and a reminder to refinance your student loans. Your niece is selling poinsettias, you’re drinking too much coffee, your “to-buy-for” list is up to 23 people, and now your car won’t start. Not to mention, your eating sugar for every meal.
A glass can only spill what it contains.
Here are a few boundaries to help preserve some sanity this holiday season:
At Work:
- Set yourself a cut-off time. Mine is 6pm. My family is not worth sacrificing for a perfect production. If it ain’t perfect, so be it. Release it and go home.
- Say No. Be realistic with your time. Know your capabilities and don’t take on what you can’t complete without sacrificing what’s more important. Trust me… it’ll be ok.
- Avoid negativity. This allows others to trust and respect you, and gives you the freedom to say no (see number 2).
At Home:
- Don’t check your work email. In fact, get off your phone period. Be present.
- Clearly communicate with your spouse. Cross-reference your calendars and be clear when work demands a little extra time.
- Avoid negativity. Your attitude towards work will be your spouse’s attitude toward the church. Bitterness is a choking vine. Your home is not the place to spew.
Within Yourself
- Eat healthy. The church is not powered by sugar or caffeine, but by “my spirit, says the Lord.” (Zechariah 4:6). However, some broccoli would go a long way.
- Be “clean”. Do the dishes. Straighten up your closet. Organize your desk(top). Delete all those unread and unimportant emails… All of this is medicine for the cluttered mind. And take a shower, would you?
- Avoid negativity. Quit being so hard on yourself, eh? God loves you. You got this.
