It’s the most wonderful time of the year…Or is it?! As the Christmas season approaches and you get to have a little more time with your husband, children, and loved ones, let me encourage you to make it as memorable you can. I suggest that as much as possible, try to keep the stress level minimal in your home to ensure you can enjoy the Christmas season.
1. Let Your Husband Be the Leader. This will anti-stress your home and your life!
God would not command the man to be the leader without giving him the ability. With God’s help and yours, your husband can be the leader God intended him to be. If you have willingly or unwillingly assumed the role of leadership in your home, you can begin to ease out of it by gradually transferring to your husband the responsibilities he will most easily accept.
Start telling the children, “Go ask Daddy; he is the head of our home.” They may be as shocked as their father, but this is an excellent way to start. When your display of confidence in his leadership convinces him that his leadership is a permanent arrangement, not a temporary “thing” with you, he should begin to respond positively!
2. Be the Spirit-filled Christian Wife You Should Be!
The most important thing in the life of any Christian is to be filled with the Holy Spirit. The Lord Jesus said, “for without me, ye can do nothing.” If we are not filled with the Holy Spirit, we are unproductive! I have a relatively expensive blow dryer at home, which I purchased because I have thick hair, and it takes me a long time to dry it. That blow dryer, as good as it is and as much as I need it, does not do any good unless I plug it into the electrical outlet! Then and only then can that blow dryer do what it is supposed to do for me. Our power source is the Holy Spirit! We need to “plug in“ on a daily basis. For some of us, it may even be hourly! Don’t live a life that is filled with anxiety, anger, dissatisfaction, envy, depression, bitterness, or hopelessness. Live a life that is filled and led by the Holy Spirit.
3. Be Totally Organized.
Nothing creates chaos more than a disorganized person. We have all met her: she’s always late, she doesn’t know what she’s having for dinner, her laundry is backed up or what is done is lying around the house in piles to be folded, ironing is never caught up, and her total household is a fiasco! If this is you and you can’t get it “together” on your own, don’t be so full of pride that you cannot ask someone to help you!
Stay home much of the time! You can’t get things done if you are always out running around. I understand many of us work outside the home, but as much as you can, strive to be at home and have a house that is orderly.
Have chores for children to do and see to it that they do them. Teach them how to do a task before you expect them to do it the way you would have it done. They are learning. Do not allow your children to become lazy! Have a structured life; predictability produces security in relationships. Relationships with someone who has an unstructured life will always threaten the structure of your life. Work on being a person of structure. It will make a huge difference in your home.
4. Have Fun During the Holidays.
Life is a gift from God. A healthy step in recovering from stress is learning to recognize and capitalize on the quotient of fun that God has given to each of us. We do not serve a God who is opposed to fun! Have fun as a family! Communicating with your children is vitally important! One excellent way to communicate with your children is during times of having fun together. What we do springs from what we remember! In our mind’s eye, we clearly see how to solve our problems and whether we want to or not, we draw from the precious memories of childhood. Some adults can bring up a bucket from the memory well that is empty while others draw from one that is refreshing! As parents, we want our children to remember a home that included many hours of having fun together. Create a list of things you want to do and see as a family during the holiday season.
5. Keep Your Priorities Balanced.
You do not have to do everything yourself, whether it be at church or home. It is not spiritual to spend all of your time doing church things while your home suffers! When we have spent time prayerfully developing proper priorities, we become much better prepared to say “no” to the things that create stress in our homes. The need to be needed is the enemy that we often allow to creep into our schedule. Learn to defeat this enemy, and you will reduce a fair amount of stress in your life, especially during the holiday season. A person with balanced priorities will also possess maturity and wisdom. A woman whose priorities are in the proper order can make good decisions. Put people before things. A home is a place where the family eats, sleeps, relaxes, plays, and entertains friends. This can only happen if we have our priorities in order.
6. Create a Pleasant Atmosphere.
Remember that Mom creates the atmosphere in the home. When you get up in the morning, put the coffee on, light a candle, turn on good Christmas music, and make your home a place of comfort and release for your family. Let your home be filled with the “ aroma” of the Christmas season. By now, I trust your house is decorated for Christmas! If not, get those decorations up before it is time to take them down!
Have a wonderful “Christ-centered’ Christmas Season with your family! Remember, it will be what you make it to be! It truly can be “the most wonderful time of the year!”
– Mrs. T
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Cindie Trieber, Pastor’s Wife
Born into a pastor’s home in Rockford, Illinois, Cindie (Swanson) Trieber has been in or around the Gospel ministry her entire life. She was married to Jack Trieber in 1972. For over 45 years of ministry, Mrs. Trieber has served in almost every capacity imaginable. Currently, the Triebers have three children and thirteen grandchildren.
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