As Jesus and the disciples continued on their way to Jerusalem, they came to a certain village where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. [39] Her sister, Mary, sat at the Lord’s feet, listening to what he taught. [40] But Martha was distracted by the big dinner she was preparing. She came to Jesus and said, “Lord, doesn’t it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me.” [41] But the Lord said to her, “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! [42] There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.”

Luke 10:38-42 NLT

Jesus broke traditions all the time. This story tells us a few unconventional ways he approached a dinner party. Despite the great cultural significance of hospitality in his day, he told his host that the dinner details weren’t the most important part of the evening.  

What Martha experienced here is something that can happen to all of us —especially over the holidays. She had a traditional way of handling things and unmet expectations for how this dinner would go. Unfortunately, these traditions and expectations were not producing much good. They were straining her relationship with her sister and distracting her from what really mattered. 

Sound like the holidays to you? 

Holiday traditions can be great, but they’re not the most important thing. When we combine these traditions with unrealistic or commercial expectations, our season becomes about everything but what really matters—gratitude, love for one another, and our relationship with God. 

Great sorrow awaits you religious scholars and Pharisees-frauds and pretenders! For you are obsessed with peripheral issues, like insisting on paying meticulous tithes on the smallest herbs that grow in your gardens. These matters are fine, yet you ignore the most important duty of all: to walk in the love of God, to display mercy to others, and to live with integrity. Readjust your values and place first things first. 

Matthew 23:23 TPT

When we get our values and priorities straight and walk closely with God, he can do more than we could ask or imagine through our holiday season (Ephesians 3:20). Our team here at Deep Spirituality is working hard to make this holiday season our best yet, and we wanted to share with you a few of the “dishes” we plan to bring to the table this year. In addition to some Bible verses and thoughts, we added fun and lighthearted tips for holiday activities that will fill your house with the peace, hope, and love that God wants us all to have. 

Join us in upending our usual approach to the holidays so that God can do more than you could ask or imagine! 

The sweet potatoes of serving: Stirring up good deeds 

What’s the need: It’s easy for me to get self-centered over the holidays. I want rest and refreshment, but I look for it in ways that don’t bring what I actually need. I find myself checked out and sucked into my phone, scrolling through YouTube while I spend time with extended family rather than talking, caring, and serving the people around me. 

The generous will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed.

Proverbs 11:25 NLT

Spiritual perspective: The Bible tells us that true refreshment comes from giving refreshment to others. My focus for this holiday season is to find refreshment in serving others: family members who need encouragement, along with those who aren’t in my family who get lonely this time of year or don’t have a family to spend the holidays with.

Ask yourself: 

• Who has God put in my life that I can bring refreshment to?
• What can I do to bring refreshment to those in my family and outside my family?

Try this: Go on walks! Schedule time to walk with friends and family during the season, get outdoors and get moving, and spend one-on-one time walking in-step with people who need the interest, care, and refreshment that you can provide. Consider reaching out to those who don’t have family in the area and may need extra encouragement. You’ll both feel the refreshment after a great conversation while getting your steps in. 

— Nathan, Video and Podcast Producer

The rolls of reflection: Becoming self-aware before seeing family

What’s the need: Holidays can bring up unresolved feelings and conflicts with family and friends. I tend to push away uncomfortable emotions throughout the year. As a result, during the holidays, I’m faced with things I’ve been avoiding. I either pull back from my relationships to dodge difficult emotions or I react with anger or fear to small situations, since I’m not used to dealing with those feelings.

So search your hearts every day, my brothers and sisters, and make sure that none of you has evil or unbelief hiding within you. For it will lead you astray, and make you unresponsive to the living God. This is the time to encourage each other to never be stubborn or hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.

Hebrews 3:12-13 TPT

Spiritual perspective: The Bible tells us to search our hearts every day. If we don’t, unbelief creeps in and we can’t encourage or be encouraged in our relationships. Let’s start the work now to become self-aware of and honest about unresolved sins, emotions, and conflicts. That way, we can spend our holidays building our relationships, rather than avoiding or fighting them. 

Ask yourself: 

• What are the emotions, sins, or relationships that I’m avoiding?
• How would my holidays be different if I dealt with those feelings and conflicts now?

Try this: Use tools to help you get more aware of your emotions. Here are a couple I use:

• Emotions wheel – Pick a relationship that you’ll be reconnecting with over the holidays, and get out a journal. Pick one emotion in the center of the wheel you connect with that relationship, and write down why. Then move to the next level and pick a more specific descriptor of that emotion, and write down why, and so on. For example: Fearful → insecure → inadequate. Then start praying about these emotions and looking for verses of the Bible that give you God’s perspective instead of your own.
• Music – Sometimes songs help us connect to emotions we didn’t realize we were feeling. Put together a playlist that helps you with self-awareness. I’ll start you off with one that will also get you in the holiday spirit: NIKI – Hallway Weather (Live Performance)

— Alexis, Copywriter

The mac & cheese of a mindset change: Looking for connection not perfection  

What’s the need: The holidays can be filled with a lot of pressure to make everything perfect. I have a lot of unrealistic expectations for how our holidays will go—the perfect meal, a perfect conflict-free dinner where everyone is together, and more. As I try to make these things happen, it’s so easy for me to lose sight of what’s really important.

Therefore if you have any encouragement in Christ, if any comfort from His love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, [2] then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being united in spirit and purpose.

Philippians 2:1-2 BSB

Spiritual perspective: The Bible tells us that when we are close to God, our focus should shift from a flawless performance to toward connecting with others. Take the time now to reflect on what is most important and differentiate it from what is nice to have but simply not necessary. Don’t just plan activities, but make plans to spend meaningful time connecting with God and with the people around you over the holidays.

Ask yourself: 

• What expectations am I holding onto that may be preventing me from fully enjoying this time with the people around me?
• Who in my life could use more of my attention, encouragement, or connection this holiday season?
• Am I making time to connect with God during the holiday preparations? If not, what can I adjust to make that time?

Try this: Prioritizing connection doesn’t have to mean adding more to your plate; sometimes, it’s about shifting your mindset to make your existing plans more focused on connecting.

• Pray – Take some time to pray for each person you’ll be spending time with. Ask God how you can be intentional in connecting with them, not by adding more to your list, but by shifting your existing plans with connection in mind. This small shift in perspective can transform ordinary, stressful tasks into meaningful moments.
• Don’t do it alone – While planning and preparing for the holidays, think of someone who might appreciate being included in your prep. This could be a family member, friend, or neighbor who may feel isolated or overlooked. Invite them to join you for shopping, meal prep, decorating, or planning. Use this time to share stories, chat, and enjoy the anticipation of the holiday together.

— Parker, Publisher

The pumpkin pie of peace: Choosing God instead of control 

What’s the need: Holidays bring up anxiety and stress for me because I try to control things I really can’t control. Despite all my attempts at planning, I can’t predict every possible scenario that could happen while I travel or when I’m with family. I can’t control how other people behave or what they will think of me. All I can control is whether I will trust God. Letting go of everything else brings peace. 

“Surrender your anxiety! Be silent and stop your striving and you will see that I am God. I am the God above all the nations, and I will be exalted throughout the whole earth.” 

Psalm 46:10 TPT

Spiritual perspective: The Bible tells us to surrender our anxiety and remember that God is bigger than we are.  I need to surrender my anxiety by trusting that God is in control, and I am not God. “Be silent” means quieting my anxious thoughts so that I can listen to God’s voice. “Stop your striving” means don’t overreach or overplan. I can stop striving to be impressive to my family and prevent holiday stress. Instead, work on having a close and trusting relationship with God. That’s the only thing I can really control, and it will bring peace. 

Ask yourself: 

• In what ways am I trying to control things that only God can control?
• How can I be silent and stop my striving? 

Try this:  

“Perfectly Imperfect” holiday decorating. Practice letting go by doing some “perfectly imperfect” decorating this year. Embrace the process of slowing down and finding beauty in letting go of control. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

• Get a Charlie Brown Christmas tree to remind you that imperfect things can be beautiful. 
• Make ornaments together with your household, even if you’re not “crafty.” Enjoy the experience of making something meaningful together, regardless of how it looks. 
• Take a trip to the thrift store with your family or roommates and make a fun evening out of everyone picking a new holiday decoration for the house that means something to them. 

— Amy, Managing Editor

The stuffing of satisfaction: Finding true fulfillment beyond holiday hype

The need: Every year, I fall into the same holiday mirage: believing this month will be an oasis of joy in the middle of a desert of stress and demands. I convince myself that if I just fill my time with holiday activities, I’ll feel happier, less stressed, and have a renewed spirit. But, inevitably, that joy feels fleeting, leaving me as weary as before.

Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. [16] For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. [17] And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever.

1 John 2:15-17 NLT

Spiritual perspective: Deep down, we all have spiritual needs that only God can satisfy (Psalm 63:1-5; John 4:13-14; John 6:35). 1 John 2 reminds us to reflect on where we’re seeking fulfillment. Rather than relying on holiday plans to fill those needs, we can find a deeper, lasting peace in God. Taking time to recognize what we’re truly longing for allows us to create holiday plans that reflect a peace the world can’t offer.

Ask yourself: 

• What holiday activities or plans have I been relying on to feel happy or less stressed?
• How can I look to God for the rest and joy I’m seeking this season, instead of only focusing on holiday traditions or plans?

Try this: Host a cozy movie night! Whether with friends or family, there’s nothing like relaxing together on the couch without the need to travel or overspend. Here are a few tips to make the most of it:

• Make it cozy: Pile up the pillows, blankets, and soft seating to create the perfect cozy spot. Set the mood with some decorations—a holiday movie feels even better with the soft glow of a Christmas tree in a dim room.
• Snacks are a must: Don’t skimp here! Go all out with buttery popcorn, your favorite sweets, and a tasty drink (Spindrift is my latest obsession).
• Minimize distractions: Put phones away or at least switch on Do Not Disturb. Let yourself be fully present and enjoy those uninterrupted 90 minutes.
• Choose a meaningful movie: While I love Die Hard as much as the next guy, try picking a movie that sparks reflection and conversation. It’s a Wonderful Life is always a winner. Watching with kids? How the Grinch Stole Christmas is a great pick (I’m good with the original, Jim Carrey, or Benedict Cumberbatch versions!).

– Mike, Web Strategist

Final thoughts

We hope you enjoyed our lighthearted attempt at the best holiday meal ever! In closing, take time to reflect on how you can have the best holiday season yet. What dish will you bring to the table this year? As we approach the season with faith and spiritual priorities, we can create a positive and powerful experience for ourselves and people around us.