This Christmas season we've seen unfolding crises across our country and around the world. A quick glance at any news feed reveals alarming headlines that reveal just how broken our society is because secular humanism is rising and biblical morality is declining. Dangerous elements of Islam are spreading across many countries including America. Strangely, socialism and corruption are being celebrated in many of our cities.

Especially at Christmas, our personal lives only add to the noise. Phones buzzing. family gatherings, and daily responsibilities seem to multiply. Daily deadlines, decisions, and digital demands create dangerous distractions. The result is a busy life that looks active on the surface but then drifts quietly from the presence of God.

In the midst of it all, many Christians find their hearts growing anxious and distracted. During this season, it's easy to become overwhelmed, angry, fearful and consumed by the constant clamor of our culture.

But on the flip side of all this is God! He is calling us to something better. Hebrews 12:1-2 reminds us, “Let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith.” The Christian life isn’t a sprint of scattered effort, it’s a long race of faithful focus.

Hebrews 12 begins with the reminder to “lay aside every weight.” Not every distraction is a sinful activity, but every distraction takes our eyes off Christ. Some distractions are obvious: temptations and misplaced priorities. Others are subtle: overcommitments, comparison, and even good things that crowd out the best things.

So let's ask ourselves: is this helping me run the race God has given me, or is it slowing me down? Here's a personal question – is the thing in my life a weight taking me down or is it a wing lifting me up to God?

The difference between the spiritually fruitful and the spiritually fatigued is often found in our focus.

King David wrote, “One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek Him.” For David, the presence of God was not a depressive duty but a daily delight.

In a world of endless activity, daily time in God’s Word and prayer is how we return to what’s real. Make that time non-negotiable. Everything else in life gains clarity when we start with Christ. I have to remind myself as I scroll through the news, answer messages, and start thinking about my day - first pause to worship my Savior and meditate on His sufficiency.

Keep in mind that worship reshapes our perspective and prayer rearranges our priorities. God’s presence doesn’t remove our pressures, but it sure does remind us of who holds them. And that’s comforting to me this Christmas.

Merry Christmas!

Pastor Dave