With another contentious election and the holidays quickly approaching, how are you going to navigate the craziness?
Can you believe it’s November? We are less than two months from 2025. We just made our way through the start of another school year and the sugar-fueled frenzy that is Halloween. And tomorrow is set to be the most contentious U.S. election I’ve witnessed. (I’ve said that every election since 2008.) There is always a lot of uncertainty with an election, but this one seems different than others. There appears to be more fear and anger on both sides of the political divide than ever before.
On top of that, Thanksgiving is only 3 1/2 weeks away, which means Christmas is just around the corner. That may be exciting, or it could be stressful. Perhaps both.
There’s Christmas shopping, decorating, traveling, awkward family dynamics, holiday parties, year-end deadlines, bills and financial stress, and missing loved ones no longer here. The holidays can be wonderful, but they can also be hectic, exhausting, and overwhelming.
So how do we navigate all the craziness? How do we lead our families through these times of stress and uncertainty?
Point to Jesus.
Just like any traveler trying to reach their destination, we need to make sure we are pointing ourselves and our family in the right direction. And the right direction is always Jesus.
The writer of Hebrews says it this way:
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith” (Hebrews 12:1b-2a, NIV).
How do we do this?
1. Set your thoughts on Jesus.
“Set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things” (Colossians 3:1b-2, NIV)
When things are stressful, do you worry, or do you pray? Rather than dwelling on the problems that you can’t do anything about, go to the one who has power over everything. Pray that he leads you through it and that you grow from it. Instead of focusing on the negative things around you, meditate on the good things God has done for you. Turn off the news and don’t click on the articles but spend time in Scripture, immersing yourself in God’s promises and wisdom.
2. Trust Jesus.
In the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 6, Jesus told the crowd to not worry about their lives—having food to eat and clothes to wear. Instead, he urged them to trust that God will provide for them because he cares about them so much. Jesus instructed them and us with these words:
“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own” (Matthew 6:33-34, NIV).
3. Point your family to Jesus.
Your kids might not be glued to the news on election night, and they probably don’t understand why the holidays are difficult for parents, but they often do feel our stress, even if they can’t articulate it. When we are stressed, our kids often receive the brunt of it, and the weight of parents, teachers, and other adults talking and arguing about politics and current events impacts our kids more than we realize.
If you are worried, they will likely feel worry, too. But if you point to the hope of Jesus, they will experience a peace that “transcends all understanding” (Philippians 4:7).
Pray with your kids every day, but rather than praying for a certain outcome, pray that Jesus leads you through it. Pray for trust, and thank him for all the times he has led you through other difficult situations.
Remind your kids (and yourself) to focus on Jesus by reading and meditating on Scripture together. Memorize the passages I’ve quoted, or read them together every morning. By Thanksgiving, you and your kids will probably have them memorized!
Remember, Jesus has promised to be with you (Matthew 28:20). Point to Jesus. Set your thoughts on him. Trust him. Lead your family to him. Not only will he lead you and your family through all the craziness, you will see Jesus work powerfully in and through you.
We are building a community of dads who are pointing to Jesus. Join our Facebook group just for dads and subscribe to our email list by clicking the links below.
The Dadventures 