How to Create a Peace-Filled Christmas with God at the Center

“For God is not a God of disorder but of peace...”

– 1 Corinthians 14:33 (NIV)

Claire used to love Christmas, but somewhere along the way, it became a job. The job of finding perfect gifts, cooking perfect meals, and hosting perfect gatherings. She’d lie awake at night running through mental checklists, and by mid-December, she felt hollowed out. The joy was buried under a pile of to-dos.

Last year, she hit a wall. Sitting in her car after a long day, she called her friend and admitted, “I’ve lost the plot. I don’t even know what I’m doing this for anymore.”

Her friend was quiet for a moment. “What’s the one thing,” she finally asked, “that actually makes it feel like Christmas to you?”

Claire thought about it. Not the things she should do, but the thing she missed. She remembered being a kid, sitting with her dad as he read the Christmas story from a worn Bible. That was it. The story.

So she went inside, dug through a closet, and found the little nativity set her kids had made in Sunday school. She cleared the mail off the kitchen table and set it right in the middle.

That small action changed everything. She started there. She baked only the cookies her family actually loved. She sent heartfelt cards instead of stressing over gifts for everyone she’s ever met. She decided her home didn’t need to look like a magazine; it needed to feel like a refuge.

On Christmas morning, there was less under the tree. But there was more laughter, more calm, and a deep sense that they’d finally found what they’d been missing.

HOW ABOUT YOU?

Do you feel like you’re managing a holiday instead of living it?

Peace doesn’t come from doing everything right. It comes from knowing what matters and letting the rest go. This year, ask yourself a different question. Don’t ask, “What needs to get done?” Ask, “What makes this feel holy to me?”

Maybe it’s playing one carol on repeat. Maybe it’s reading the story of Jesus’ birth out loud. Maybe it’s saying “let’s order pizza” instead of cooking a feast. Your most important job this season isn’t to create magic. It’s to clear away the clutter so you can notice the miracle that’s already here.

PRAYER:

God, I am tired of the hustle. This year, I want Your peace more than a perfect holiday. Show me the one thing that points my heart to You. Help me to let go of what drains me and hold onto what restores my joy. Be at the center of my Christmas. Amen.