When Routine Takes Over the Soul: A Christmas Reflection
Christmas is often called the most wonderful time of the year.
Yet for many, it quietly becomes the busiest.
Life doesn’t necessarily move faster during the Christmas season—we simply add more to an already full routine: planning events, attending parties, navigating family expectations, shopping, wrapping, spending, traveling, and still trying to keep up with work and responsibilities.
What was meant to be a holiday slowly becomes a heavy day.
What was meant to bring joy becomes pressure.
What was meant to bring peace becomes noise.
What was meant to slow us down becomes another schedule to survive.
And routine—when it lacks purpose and presence—becomes exhausting and hollow.
When Routine Steals the Soul
Many of us live on autopilot.
We wake up, check our phones, rush through the day, complete tasks, repeat patterns—and rarely pause long enough to breathe, let alone reflect.
There’s little room for learning, little sense of growth, and minimal space for renewal.
We’re not always tired because life is hard.
We’re tired because life has become automatic.
Even at home, the rhythm continues: the same chores, the same conversations, the same distractions.
And over time, weariness doesn’t just settle into the body—it sinks into the soul.
Routine is not the enemy.
But routine without God quietly drains the heart.
A Tale of Two Christmases: Philippines and Canada
In the Philippines, Christmas begins as early as September.
Yes—four full months of celebration.
The moment the -ber months arrive, the atmosphere shifts. Malls start playing carols, homes go up in lights, and people begin planning for Christmas parties, reunions, and gift-giving.
Relatives come from near and far.
Children visit homes to give their respects and receive gifts—often monetary.
Even if you don’t know them, they’ll knock on your door with hopeful smiles.
Neighbors’ children, carolers, and extended family fill the season with joyful noise and expectation.
Everywhere you go, there’s celebration.
But very little quiet.
Here in Canada, the season feels different.
Yes, there are lights and music, but they’re often quieter, more reserved.
There’s less emphasis on parties and more focus on finding balance between work, family, ministry, and everyday life. Add to that the fact that not everyone celebrates Christmas here—and the pressure takes on a quieter, more internal form.
Some celebrate.
Some mourn.
Some carry on like it’s just another day.
For those of us trying to hold on to both cultures, the tension is real.
In one culture, Christmas is overflowing.
In another, it can feel like something quietly slipping by.
In both, the challenge is the same: don’t miss the stillness.
This May Not Be Your Exact Experience, But It’s Familiar to Many…
A woman once shared how every December, her calendar overflowed—office parties, school plays, family dinners, church events, shopping, volunteering. She felt like she was doing everything “right.”
But on Christmas Eve, while wrapping gifts at midnight, she broke down in tears.
“I had done all the things,” she said,
“but I felt completely empty. Like Christmas had happened around me, and I’d somehow missed it.”
That night, she left the wrapping paper on the floor, turned off the lights, and sat in silence. She opened her Bible and read Luke 2 slowly, for the first time in years.
She didn’t finish her list. But she found peace.
Christmas Was Never Meant to Be Rushed
When Jesus was born, there was no frenzy.
No crowded malls.
No noisy agendas.
No pressure to impress.
Jesus came quietly—into a manger, in the stillness of night.
The shepherds didn’t rush; they watched.
Mary didn’t panic; she pondered.
Joseph didn’t strive; he obeyed.
“Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace to those on whom His favor rests.”
(Luke 2:14, NIV)
The arrival of Christ was not a spectacle. It was sacred stillness.
Christmas reminds us that God doesn’t enter through busyness,
but through stillness.
From Heavy Day to Holy Day
Christmas was never meant to be a heavy day.
It was always meant to be a holy day.
A holy day is not defined by how much we prepare—
but by Whom we welcome.
We’ve mistaken full schedules for full hearts.
We’ve turned tradition into a checklist.
We’ve made Christmas about doing—not receiving.
A holy day isn’t about perfection.
It’s about presence—God’s presence, and ours.
Another Story: The Power of a Simple Christmas
This may not be your exact experience, but it’s familiar to many.
There’s an older couple who lost their only son a few years ago. Since then, the holidays have been quiet—and difficult.
One Christmas, instead of decorating the house or hosting a dinner, they invited two close friends for soup. They read the Christmas story out loud and lit a single candle in remembrance.
They later said it was their most meaningful Christmas in years.
Why?
Because the noise was gone. And God’s presence was near.
They didn’t celebrate from routine.
They celebrated from the heart.
God’s Invitation Is to Rest, Not Do More
God’s invitation this season isn’t to perform.
It’s to pause.
“Be still, and know that I am God.”
(Psalm 46:10, NIV)
Rest is not laziness.
Rest is not neglecting responsibility.
Rest is the courageous act of slowing down long enough to remember who He is—and who you are.
Rest Is the Heart of Christmas
The greatest gift of Christmas wasn’t wrapped in paper.
It was wrapped in swaddling cloths.
It wasn’t placed under a tree.
It was laid in a manger.
True rest doesn’t come from completing everything.
It comes from knowing the One who completed it all.
“Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you;
He is the Messiah, the Lord.”
(Luke 2:11, NIV)
When we slow down, we remember what truly matters.
We listen again.
We worship again.
We receive again.
A Gentle Invitation This Christmas
If this season feels heavy, perhaps God is inviting you into something holy.
Not to abandon your culture.
Not to escape your life.
But to rest in His presence.
Stop for a moment.
Breathe in the breath of life.
Let your soul be still.
Because sometimes, the most faithful way to celebrate Christmas
is not by doing more—
but by being still with Emmanuel,
God with us.
Faith + Care Life
Living by faith. Caring with purpose.
🌿 An Invitation to Be Still
Before you scroll away…
before you return to your schedule…
pause for a moment.
🎧 Soaking Worship – Rest in God’s Presence
This instrumental soaking worship was created for quiet prayer, reflection, and resting in God’s presence.
Let the music guide your heart into stillness and remind you that God is already near.
👉 Listen here: [Soaking Worship | Rest in His Presence]
“Be still, and know that I am God.”
— Psalm 46:10 (NIV)