What are you hoping for this Christmas?

There are so many ways to make the Christmas season feel special and festive — looking at lights, watching movies, gathering with friends and family, baking cookies, the list is endless. While traditions are a fun way to celebrate the joy of Christmas, they can also sometimes let us down when they don’t quite measure up to our hopes. Bad weather might prevent your family from gathering, you may not have as many friends in the area as you used to, or maybe hosting feels more stressful this year than it has in the past.

Christmas movies have filled our imaginations with cozy ideals, jolly family gatherings, and the idea that any problem can be solved by Christmas morning. But for many of us, the Christmas we long for is not the Christmas we experience.

Here are four hopes many of us have for the holidays. Reflect on your own expectations for this year and discover how the unfailing hope of Jesus’ birth can provide an anchor for your joy.

Whether your gathering is big or small, you likely look forward to seeing the people you love for the holidays. Celebrating with family and friends is a major part of what makes Christmas so fun! But sometimes our time with loved ones doesn’t go as planned.

Complex family dynamics can make Christmas dinner awkward, your old friends may have all moved away or started different traditions of their own, or maybe your grief is making it impossible to smile for photos this year. Challenges like these can feel heavy on a major holiday, but that doesn’t mean Christmas is ruined.

If you’re not able to connect with loved ones the way you want to this Christmas, remember that Jesus provides unlimited access to God (Hebrews 10:19-22). God loves you and always wants a deeper relationship with you, so consider how you might spend meaningful time with Him this Christmas. This could mean reflecting on Scripture, going on prayer walks or listening to worship music — invite Him into the festivities you enjoy most!

If you grew up celebrating Christmas, what are some of your favorite memories? What made Christmas more special, or “magical,” than any other holiday? Sometimes reminiscing on fond memories and old traditions can fill us with a longing to bring back the “good old days” when Christmas was full of wonder and delight, rather than stressful expectations.

In trying to recapture the best of your childhood Christmas memories, you might buy matching PJs for your family, bake enough cookies to share with your whole neighborhood, or decorate your house the way your grandma used to.

While these things may stir up your nostalgia, do they satisfy your childlike craving to wonder at something extraordinary?

The real “magic” of Christmas lies in the marvelous truth that Jesus, God Himself, came as a human baby to live among us, lived a sinless life, was killed on our behalf, and then defeated death once and for all. If you’re looking for something to reawaken your childlike wonder this Christmas, reflect on how deeply God loves you and all that He did to accomplish your redemption.

The excitement of opening the perfect gift is rivaled only by giving the perfect gift. It doesn’t matter if it’s your favorite candy from a co-worker, the latest tech from your parents or a DIY gift from your best friend, receiving a gift bought or made with you in mind makes you feel special. And giving a gift that shows how well you know someone you care about is just as satisfying!

For some, however, coming up with those perfect gifts can feel more stressful than exciting. Will you be disappointed if you don’t get the gift you’re hoping for this Christmas? Are you worried that you won’t have enough to give?

Remember that gifts at Christmas time should remind us of God’s generosity. Scripture tells us, “Every good and perfect gift is from above” (James 1:17, New International Version). How might you use your gift-giving opportunities to reflect Jesus more clearly?

Christmas is a time to celebrate the joy, hope and peace that came with Jesus’ birth. Advent, the four weeks leading up to Christmas, in particular provides a season to wait and anticipate this joy, hope and peace. For many followers of Jesus, this is an important time to slow down, reflect and give thanks to God for sending the Savior we needed.

For others, the Christmas season feels everything but slow. If you’re feeling overwhelmed by all the Christmas festivities filling your calendar, you’re not alone.  It can feel like potluck feasts, cookie-baking parties, gift exchanges and ugly sweater competitions fill up every free moment in December! So where is there time to rest?

Jesus promises to provide rest to all who are weary (Matthew 11:28). That promise still stands if you’re weary from the Christmas season. If you’re feeling overwhelmed this holiday season, find moments to quiet your mind and bring your weariness to Jesus. He came to provide rest for your soul.

This Christmas, as you look forward to all the joy that traditions and reunions bring, remember to anchor your hopes in the person and promises of Jesus. True Christmas joy isn’t found in matching PJs, giving the perfect gift or even gathering with your loved ones. True joy is rooted in the unfailing hope of Jesus’ birth and the relationship we can have with Him through it.

Not sure where to begin? Check out these four ways to prepare your heart for Christmas.