Christmas Is Over, Jesus Is Not

There always seems to be such a slump after Christmas is over. January can feel so long. There is a building of excitement as we go through Advent. Preparations, decorating, wrapping, planning, attending parties and gatherings, singing Christmas carols – all leading up to the main event, Christmas Day. Then we have all the new goals, hopes, and plans that come with thinking about the New Year. And then…dark, dreary winter. The decorations get put away and everything looks barren and empty. Resolutions fall flat. Here in the Northern hemisphere winter seems to drag on and on. I am tired of the cold and the dark. The holiday festivities have left my body feeling bloated and sluggish. 

The opposite of advent is withdrawal, and that’s how I sometimes feel. Like I quit something cold turkey. This is what happens when we get caught up in the excitement, thrive on it even. The emotions get so big and it can be invigorating. But those outside trappings and emotions don’t last, they can’t. They have a short shelf life, no stamina, they burn out quickly.

Christmas ends, it happens every year – lots of preparation, and then over in a flash.

Christmas is over, Jesus is not.

The coming of Jesus is not a stand-alone story. It is the beginning of something that changed the world, something that will last forever, something that will happen again.

When we accept Jesus, the Holy Spirit fills us from the inside out. This is not an emotion that is dependent on outside events or stimulation. This is where we need Jesus to live so that the season doesn’t fall flat at the end of the year.

When Jesus is in my heart, when the Holy Spirit dwells within me, I can be sustained every day by the same hope, peace, joy, and love that surrounded me during the Advent season. The shelf life of Jesus is forever, He never grows tired, His lamp never burns out.

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.  Philippians 4:6-7

These verses have been planted in my heart for 2026.

I have read these verses hundreds of times throughout my life. Don’t worry; instead, pray. I know those words so well. They remind me of my grandmother whose best advice was always, “Just pray about it.”

But recently my eyes have been drawn to the phrase near the end.

“His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”

It isn’t just an unloading of our worries in prayer. I think that’s where I got stuck for a while. 

That’s not a bad place to be stuck – praying instead of worrying. But there’s so much more to the process.

When I really submit ALL of my worries to Jesus and agree to walk in step with Him, to agree to let Him be in charge of every minute of every day, I can experience God’s peace – not worldly peace – God’s peace.

God’s peace doesn’t make sense. 

When His peace is guarding our hearts and minds we can be content no matter what circumstances are swirling around us. And there seems to be an abundance of swirling circumstances these days.

His peace is not passive. It’s not apathy – not caring about the world around us – or simply the absence of conflict. It is an active shield driving out worry, anxiety, hopelessness right in the middle of whatever we are experiencing.

So in 2026 I am leaning in, seeking ways to accept, implement, and activate this kind of peace. Seeking to learn how God’s peace brings boldness and confidence through my humility and obedience. How His peace is the “Christmas” that continues after the decorations have all been put away. It is the hope that carries us through the dark winter until Spring arrives.

My prayer for you is that you will experience God’s peace by handing over your worries in prayer. That you will allow His peace to fill that space, to surround your heart and your mind where worry used to live. Let it be a shield, actively guarding against discouragement and despair.

We don’t know what 2026 will bring. But we can have peace knowing that Jesus is already there.