Avoiding The Spiritual & Moral Pitfalls Of Christmas Break, pt. 1
by on Dec 14th, 2010 at 2:00 am
Every January, without fail, I have dozens of men who return to campus fired up and excited to be back in such a spiritually stimulating environment because their time at home proved to be a huge step backward in their relationship with God and their struggle against habitual sin. I also experienced this as a student when I left a Christian bubble for the “real world.” The return to college proved to be a release from a time of spiritual struggle at home, and when you think about it, we should not be surprised that Christmas break can ironically be a spiritually destructive time for college students.
You might have heard the axiom that it takes 33 days to form a habit. Well, Christmas breaks tend to be three to four weeks (21-28 days), and that is more than enough time for us to develop spiritually unhealthy patterns. These days are rhythmically different from our familiar patterns created in the past semester. We do not have the routine stresses of college life keeping us busy. If we do not find work or activities during this time, the days of rest turn into weeks of boredom, and boredom is the breeding ground of spiritual lethargy, distracted behavior, and destructive actions.
For the next three days, I want to offer you at least 9 different suggestions that I have personally utilized to establish an environment in my body, mind, and soul where spiritual growth can occur instead of the typical setbacks, which plague the breaks of students more often than not. You might not be able to utilize all of them. Some of you might not even find all of them relevant given your particular situation, and that is fine. What I hope is that you will be able to latch on to one or two of them and utilize them in such a way that you are able to do more than just endure break, but spiritually thrive.
Suggestion #1: Seek Temporary Employment
Going to work sounds like the absolute worst way to enjoy Christmas break, but God has hardwired men to crave being useful, and three to four weeks of downtime will be awfully painful without any type of activity or goal-setting. Even though the economy is not job-friendly, the holiday season offers many short-term employment options and if you can find one, don’t hesitate to take advantage of it.
Work is good for your body, mind, and soul, even if that work doesn’t pay great or bring you any kind of promotion. First, work provides structure and routine, which makes you value your time and instills discipline. Second, time spent being productive eliminates time spent alone without any plans, and I can almost bet with 100% certainty that more sin is committed when we are isolated without plans than at any other time. Like I said earlier, God made us to be active and our spirits will be more vibrant and receptive to enjoy Him as we work.
My suggestion might seem hypocritical since I also experience a few weeks of respite and do not intend to fill it with applying for another job. However, I have plans for personal development that will make me more effective at my current job. Also, when I was a college student, I utilized this suggestion and was grateful for it. I found work as a janitor at a local school district, which means that I spent my weeks cleaning halls, desks, chairs, walls, shoveling snow, and cleaning up students’ vomit. Believe it or not, the work was a fun change of pace even in its most unpleasant moments.
Suggestion #2 - Look for Ways to Serve Others
Perhaps you have the luxury of not having to work to earn money for the next semester, or perhaps the economy is too brutal for you to find employment in your community. I would then suggest that you make up your own job, one that is centered on finding ways to serve neighbors and people in your community. Christmas break, for those of us who live north of the snow line, can bring with it opportunities to shovel driveways for elderly neighbors or warm cars for family. Even without snowy weather, we can all find people who are without company or supplies during the holidays, and we can offer our own time to befriend them, listen to them, or serve them meals. The possibilities are too numerous to write here, but the point is that the opportunities we need are all around us. We can easily begin praying and asking God to draw us to those who could use the loving acts and friendship of His people during this time.
Try making Christmas break about more than yourself and see if God doesn’t strengthen your soul!
Suggestion #3 - Get "Employed" by Your Pastor
Having served as a youth and children’s pastor, I can verify that December can be one of the craziest, most stressful, and most frustrating months of the year for pastors. There are programs to run, meetings to attend, Sundays to plan, families to visit, and many of the church’s core members are not available because they are taking their “Christmas Break.”
You might have to risk rejection, but consider approaching your pastor and offering your time and energy to help the church for the next couple of weeks. Just see if your pastor doesn’t pass out or kiss your forehead! You may end up taking care of custodial chores or tedious administrative tasks, but in whatever capacity you serve, the church as a whole benefits and you will have time to minister to the leadership in your church.
Make a deal with them. Offer to serve in exchange for sharing the lunch hour with them or the other pastoral staff.
I’m not talking about asking for free lunch. I’m talking about sitting down for thirty or sixty minutes and eating in fellowship with other men of God. Just soak up the conversation, observe their hearts and minds, ask questions, and you can experience spiritual growth by being near mature men.
You do not have to labor exhaustively if you utilized any of these suggestions, but you would create a environment in which you are able to recharge your batteries and prevent becoming lazy or stuck in a spiral of spiritual stagnation.
More to come tomorrow.