Killing the Christmas Spirit. What Already?

Christmas is just around the corner! Are you starting to brace yourself or is that little “buzz” of excitement starting to bubble? For many of us Christmas is a time of great excitement as we think of stuff like food, family and presents. However, for others Christmas is something they dread rather than look forward to. Reports tell us that depression and suicide rates actually increase at this time of year.

With this in mind we will be spending this week looking at some of the common issues which can turn Christmas into a real downer for us. Issues that if left undealt with, can potentially kill off our Christmas spirit. This year we’re looking at these issues early so that we can have time to address them and enjoy a truly blessed Christmas.

Daily Byte – ‘Pessimism’

The first issue we will be looking at is pessimism. Pessimism can be defined as a general belief that things around us in the world are bad, and are tending to become worse. There is a great deal of pessimism today that grips and even paralyses people. Some of the challenging issues we South Africans face can lead to pessimism if we are not careful. We read stories of horrible crimes, we drive past hungry street children, we hear tales of corruption and power abuse and we begin to lose hope as a result. Hey, I’m starting to feel depressed just writing all this down!

Seriously though we need to remember that to lose hope is to lose life. The movie, “Children of Men,” although graphically violent, is a stark portrayal of what happens to people when hope is lost. In the movie the human race loses its ability to reproduce and so begins to go into a downward spiral of deep depression. Pessimism becomes the norm because no one can see any hope for life beyond themselves. The lesson of the movie is that everything collapses around us when we do not have hope to hold us together within.

The opposite to pessimism is not blind, idealistic optimism. Instead it is faith. Faith is being sure of what we do not see (Heb 11.1); and so faith counters pessimism because it holds onto hope despite even the worst circumstances. While pessimism can kill the Christmas spirit, faith is that quality which lightens our hearts and minds with the good news of Christ’s love and presence. Let us never forget that Christmas is a powerful reminder that God is with us always and everywhere. As the second part of today’s focus reading reminds us, even if we face great opposition (such as crime, poverty and disease), we need never lose hope if we can keep our eyes firmly fixed on Jesus.

Pray As You Go

Lord God, we give thanks to you for Jesus Christ who is hope and life for all the world. We confess that we often allow a pessimistic spirit to grip and even paralyse all that is good and positive within us. We bring to you our fears Almighty God. The feelings we get when we look around us and are overwhelmed by the world’s problems. We ask that you would renew our hope and strengthen our faith. Help us to keep our eyes firmly fixed on Jesus, no matter what problems we are currently facing. Amen.

Focus Readings

Hebrews 11:1-3 (NIV)

Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for.
By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God's command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.
Hebrews 12:1-3 (NIV)
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful people, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.