“Tis the season to be jolly,” or so the Christmas song goes. I enjoy decking the halls, but prefer thinking of Christmas as the season of peace and joy. Jolly is good, but it reminds me of Santa, and I’m not trying to be like Santa. Life is not always jolly.

Jesus is the Prince of Peace, and in Him we can have joy even when we’re not jolly.

However, I’ve already been reminded that Christmas is also the season of clashes in relationships due to stress, tension, and long to-do lists. This year the season is complicated because we are in the midst of transition in our house. As we clean out closets and drawers to move our living space from one part of the house to another, everything is in chaos, and our to-do list involves a lot more than Christmas.

In the last couple of days, I’ve been on the giving and the receiving end of responses that were far from peace and joy, much less jolly. They were impatient and unkind, not the  scene pictured on Christmas cards.

A sharp tone is a natural (fleshly) response when additional stress is added to a tense situation. It’s not desirable any time of the year. Jesus said, our “mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart” (Matt. 12:34). Consequently, if we want to avoid harsh words, biting our tongues will have limited effect. We need to tend to our hearts if we want to control our mouths.

Our house isn’t in order yet and we’ve done very little to prepare for Christmas. Yesterday, I finally took the fall decoration off the front door and put out a nativity scene, but our to-do list is still overwhelming. But, in spite of the list, I want to enjoy a season of peace and joy, not one of impatience and strife.

I determined that I have to be pro-active if that desire is fulfilled. I need to deal with my heart daily—and throughout each day. I’m suspicious I’m not the only one with the problem, so I’m sharing my insights on how to “manage” my heart in the midst of stress. So far, they are working.

I realized that as a result of high demands for my time and energy,  I’ve been attacking the day in high gear, racing to get everything done. As a result, I’ve charged ahead in my own strength. Consequently, I’ve left God out and have thus missed out on His grace—His strength, joy, and peace. I need to realign my heart so I can receive from Him. I can’t expect to walk in the strength of the Lord while running through life as if everything depends on me.

1. First, I need to acknowledge my problem and confess my stress, sharp voice, sinful nature,  inadequacies, doubts, fears, and . . ..

2. I need to submit to God and give Him my day, my stress, my to-do list, and the demanding people around me—i.e. anyone and everyone who requires time and attention can seem like a demand if it is a distraction from our agenda, even if they are gracious about their needs.

3. I need to acknowledge my need and ask for God to work in and through me, to guide my day, direct my path, give me grace. I need to let Him reign in my heart, so He will maintain joy and peace within.

Basically, it’s a matter of letting Jesus back on the throne in my heart. He is the Prince of Peace. Where He reigns, there is peace and joy.

The fruit of His Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Gal. 5:22). If I let His Spirit rule in my heart, I shouldn’t have any problem with impatient or harsh responses.

I’d like to hear from you. How do you maintain a pure heart and gracious spirit when under stress?