Multiple studies have proven that the holiday season exacerbates mental health issues. The pressure to have “a perfect Christmas” can be overwhelming for some. For others, their loneliness is amplified. Such people need a real Christmas, one that results in great joy. But joy is not the same thing as happiness. It is infinitely better. Happiness is an emotion. Joyfulness is a condition. Happiness comes from your circumstances. Joyfulness comes from Christ assuring you of his abiding love and your glorious future. Therefore, happiness—“holiday cheer”—is fleeting. Joyfulness is enduring. The historic Christian Church gave Latin titles to each Sunday. They titled the Third Sunday in Advent “Gaudete,” which means “Rejoice!” As we reach the midway point of Advent, we ask Christ to empower us to do just that.

The closer we get to Christmas, the greater the pressure. There is so much work to be done! We want our houses to look good for out-of-town guests. We want to impress people with the thoughtfulness of our gifts. What a welcome relief, therefore, to hear what is required to be ready for Christmas: only repentance. You see, repentance is the opposite of work. It is the candid and honest admission of our sin combined with the joyful trust that Christ has already done everything needed to bring us close to God. At this frenetic time of year, the call to repent is not another demand to do something more. It is a gracious invitation to set down our work to make way for Christ’s work. Rooted in that repentant rest, we can fully enjoy a real Christmas.

It is easy to get so caught up in the imagery—a tiny newborn baby lying in the straw-filled manger under a star-filled sky—that we forget the why. Why did the Son of God come into our world and take on human flesh? So that he might die as the sacrifice for our sins. One Christmas carol puts it this way. “Neither crib nor cross refuses; all he suffers for your good to redeem you by his blood.” Advent marks the start of a new Church Year. We begin at the end, watching Jesus ride into Jerusalem on a donkey colt, knowing full well that he would be killed before the end of the week. The events of Palm Sunday serve as a microcosm for all of Jesus’ work, proving the Son of God was willing to humble himself and endure anything for our salvation. That is precisely why Christ came. And a real Christmas requires remembering why Christ came.

“Eyes on the prize.” That axiom stresses that when pursuing a good goal, focus is important. You don’t want distractions or a lack of self-discipline to keep you from obtaining whatever that prize might be. “Eyes on the prize.” You summon the willpower to fixate on that good thing. You let nothing divert your attention from obtaining the prize. The prize that we want most is spending eternity with Jesus. As the Church Year ends, Jesus promises that he will come again “in clouds with great power and glory” to give us that prize. That prize will be so unbelievably good that it is worth fixating on. It merits our striving to set aside all that would distract us from Christ. Let us be ready. Let us keep watch. Let us live with our eyes on the skies.

Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) affects many millions of adults. It is more than shyness. SAD includes an acute fear of being judged. An individual with SAD struggles with everyday tasks like talking to people at work or school because he is terrified that he is constantly being evaluated. Even if you don’t have that disorder, perhaps you have experienced that uncomfortable feeling that others are watching you, trying to find something to criticize. We don’t want others to judge us. It is bad enough listening to the voice inside our head whispering that we aren’t worthy. How do we overcome the fear of judgment? It begins by realizing that only one person's opinion ultimately matters—the Judge. Everyone is going to live forever in one of two very different places. Where you spend eternity depends on a judgment that Jesus will render. This week, we see why his judgment need not trigger any anxiety. Judgment day is something we can joyfully anticipate. We can live free from the fear of judgment.

Perhaps you have heard the axiom, “Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die.” In other words, while you still can, use what you have in order to enjoy life to the fullest. If this life is all there is, St. Paul agrees that would be a good philosophy. Paul wrote, “If the dead are not raised, ‘Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die’” (1 Corinthians 15:32). However, note the “if.” Paul was saying that the epicurean approach to life makes sense only if this life is all we have. But it isn’t. Jesus will raise us from the dead and take us to live in his home, a place of perfect comfort and beauty. Knowing that, we are set free from the need to live a self-indulgent life now. Instead, we can be generous people, using the wealth that God has given us to serve both him and others. We can live a life of startling generosity.

“It will get better.” We say that to try to comfort someone having a bad day (or maybe a whole string of bad days). Perhaps tomorrow will be better. But perhaps it’s worse. In this life, there are no guarantees that things will improve. That isn’t the case with the life that is to come. That life isn’t just going to be better. It will be perfect. Since the seventh century, Christians have marked a day to celebrate those who have died in faith and now realize the perfect joys of heaven. It is called “All Saints’ Day.” We thank God for bringing our Christian loved ones out of the troubles and turmoil of this world and into eternal bliss and glory. And we ask God to preserve us in our faith so that we might one day join the saints in that place where life is far more than better.

Jesus repeatedly told his followers that living as his disciples would bring hardship. Living according to God’s Law will make one appear odd in the eyes of the world, perhaps even evil. Sharing a message of mankind’s sin and God’s gracious salvation can cause offense. So why not just stay silent if that makes life easier? Why not keep our faith private? Answer: because we are going to live forever. In gratitude for Christ saving us and giving us eternal life, we share the gospel with others, hoping they will believe and be saved too. Since we know we will live forever in the perfection of heaven, we don’t worry if being a witness for Christ brings hardship or even death. Martin Luther wanted to reform the false teachings of the church. He stood firm in the truth of the gospel, knowing it might cost him his life. But Luther knew that, thanks to Christ, he would live forever. So will we. Therefore, like Luther, let us live a life of courageous witness.

“What’s in it for me?” It’s easy to look at life through the lens of that question to make decisions based on perceived personal benefit. Perhaps we look at Christianity through that lens at times, wondering what we will gain from following Christ. “What’s in it for me?” Jesus first disciples asked that question. They hoped that following Christ would bring prestige and honor. They assumed following Christ would make life easier. But it doesn’t work like that. Followers of Christ are called to sacrifice for the well-being of others. “What’s in it for me?” Everything! Because of Christ’s ultimate sacrifice, followers of Christ have the peace of his forgiveness. Followers of Christ have the joy of meaningful purpose. Followers of Christ look forward to an eternity of glory in Christ’s heavenly kingdom. In Spirit-wrought gratitude, followers of Christ make selfless sacrifices with joy.

People think that establishing priorities is about ranking things in order of importance. But it is more than that. We do not have unlimited time and energy. So, establishing priorities enables us to say “no” to things that might be good yet not truly important. Without proper priorities, one will inevitably pursue what is nice while downplaying what is needed. Throughout Scripture, believers are urged to prioritize. It is the heart of the First Commandment: “You shall have no other gods before me” (Exodus 20:3). Jesus calls for prioritization when he says, “Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness” (Matthew 6:33). Good news: followers of Christ maintain proper priorities. Even better news: followers of Christ receive his forgiveness for all the times their priorities have been improper.