Why Am I Still So Worried About Christmas?

Feeling the holiday pressure? Why Am I Still So Worried About Christmas? I totally get it! We dive into the real deal about Christmas stress and how it's all about letting go of that pesky perfection. Seriously, perfection isn't peace; it's just a fancy way to stress yourself out! Instead, we chat about how to flip the script and find the joy in the chaos, focusing on what really matters—our relationships and the love we share. Join me as we wrap up our holiday survival series with some solid tips to make this Christmas meaningful and, guess what, debt free! So, kick back and let’s figure out how to keep the peace this season, because you’ve got this!

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Christmas can be a tough nut to crack, right? We get all hyped up about it, planning away, budgeting like pros, and still end up with that gnawing anxiety in our gut. It’s like we’re all caught in this mad race for perfection. I mean, c’mon, every billboard and social media post is shouting that if it ain’t perfect, it just ain’t good enough. But here’s the kicker: perfection doesn’t equal peace. It’s more like a pressure cooker, making us compare ourselves to others and draining our contentment. As we wrap up this holiday survival series, I’m here to remind you that you’ve already got what it takes to make this Christmas a meaningful one, free from the stress of overspending.

So what’s the deal? First off, trust what you’ve learned this past month. We’ve been diving into creating structure and setting limits, and those things are your freedom ticket. Next, let’s ditch the whole idea of “perfect.” Society’s version of Christmas can be a total performance trap, but God’s way is all about presence, not presents. Choose that vibe instead! And remember, you’ve got the tools. You’ve been flexing your financial confidence muscles all month, so let’s put that into practice with a grateful heart.

As we gear up for the holiday season, let’s hold on to this truth: God’s peace isn’t something we earn; it’s a gift. So let’s take a breather, jot down some lessons learned, and give thanks for everything we’ve got going for us. The best gift this Christmas? A calm heart knowing that God’s got our back. Now, who’s ready to tackle this holiday with a smile and some serious confidence?

Takeaways:

• Planning for Christmas can be stressful, but remember, perfection isn't what brings peace.
• Don't let the pressure of perfect holidays ruin your joy; focus on relationships instead.
• True contentment comes from God's love, not from hitting holiday perfection goals.
• This Christmas, let go of the need to impress and embrace the presence of loved ones.

Links mentioned in this episode:

• financiallyconfidentchristian.com/join

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Episode Transcript

(00:28):
Ralph, I've been planning andbudgeting all month, but I'm still
anxious about Christmas. Whatif I can't make it perfect for my
family? What if I fall shortagain this year? Now that is a difficult
question, but I get it. Welive in a culture that sells perfection.
And it's wrapped in glitterand bows. Every commercial, every
scroll on social mediascreams, if it's not perfect, it's

(00:48):
not enough. But here's thetruth. Perfection isn't peace. You
gotta hear that. Perfection ispressure. Perfection is comparison.
And it's the enemy ofcontentment. And maybe that's why,
even after all your planningand praying, you still feel uneasy
today. Because peace doesn'tcome from getting Christmas right.
It comes from rememberingGod's already made you enough. So

(01:10):
today, as we close this month,this holiday survival series, I want
to remind you, you alreadyhave what it takes to make this Christmas
meaningful and debt free. Sotoday, let's focus on what we've
learned today. And let'sfinalize our holiday survival plans.
That's what we're going tocover on today's show.
This is Financially ConfidentChristian. Your daily dose of gospel,

(01:30):
grounded insight and faithdriven tips to help you break the
cycle of financial shame with confidence.
Welcome to the show. I'mRalph. I am so happy you chose to
join me. If you've been alongwith me this whole 30 day journey,
man, we have learned a lotover the past 30 days and I continue
to help you every day breakthat cycle of financial shame and,

(01:51):
and do it with confidence. AndI'm gonna tell you a story. A few
years ago, a client told me,she said, ralph, I planned everything
perfectly and it still didn'tfeel right. And I said to her, I
said, here I'm give you alittle guidance. That's because peace
doesn't live in your receipts.It lives in your relationships. But
that's the truth. I love whatMax Lucado says. He's a Christian

(02:12):
author and pastor. You may nothave heard of him, but this guy,
he nails it. He says you don'thave to be perfect to be loved by
a perfect God. We love aperfect God, don't we? But we're
not perfect. See, God's peaceisn't earned by perfect plans or
false holidays. So many peopleget stuck on that. They think, well,
it's got to be perfect. Butthat's not where it is. It's not
about performing well. Thisisn't a performance. It's all about

(02:34):
loving. Well. That's one ofthe big themes of this whole 30 day
series. Because when lovebecomes the focus, joy finally follows.
So let's get back to ourquestion today. What if I can't make
it perfect for my family? Whatif I fall short again this year?
I just want to reward you withthese things. A couple key points.
You got to start with this.Trust what you've learned. We've

(02:56):
heard a whole lot this pastmonth. We talked about creating structure.
We talked about settinglimits. We talked about living in
a purpose this month that'snot small. Each of those things might
seem small in theirindividual, but that's freedom in
motion. So number one, trustwhat you've learned. Number two,
listener, you need to hearthis. Let go of perfect. The world's

(03:18):
vision of Christmas is aperformance perfection. The perfectly
choreographed day or week ormonth. But God's version is presence.
I'm gonna encourage you rightnow. Choose his version. Let go of
the world's version ofperfect. And last but not least,
you've got the tools. You'vebeen practicing financial confidence

(03:41):
all month. Now it's time totake that practice and live with
it with gratitude and let goof that guilt. Let's get to our Bible
verse. It comes from the bookof Philippians, chapter 4, verses
6 to 7. It says this, and I'veused this on the show countless times,
but I want to just reaffirmthis today. Do not be anxious about
anything. But in everysituation, by prayer and petition,

(04:04):
with thanksgiving, presentyour requests to God. And the peace
of God, which transcend allunderstanding, will guard your hearts
and your minds in ChristJesus. How about we pray together,
Lord, as we come to you rightnow, help us to release that pressure
of perfection. Help us torealize that it's not about perfection.
It's about your presence andyour will for our life. Help us to

(04:27):
trust you more. Help us totrust that you've prepared us enough,
Lord. Help us to go back tothe things that we've learned and
help us to put our trust inyou. And during this holiday, as
it starts tomorrow, theholiday season, help us to find rest
and help us to find joy in apeace that only you can provide.
And we ask this in theprecious name of Jesus. Amen. So

(04:49):
here's your action item fortoday. I want you to just take five
minutes today and I want youto write down three lessons that
you learned this month. Maybeyou got to go back and re listen
to some of the shows from thepast 30 days, but if you do that,
it's going to help you walk inpeace this Christmas and just take
a minute and thank God for howhe's equipped you. And if this message
spoke to your heart today, I'dlove you to join our new financially

(05:12):
confident Christian community.And it's more than just a way to
support the show. Sure, youcan do that. There's a way to support
the show. And I would love itif you do that. But it's a space
where we can grow together. Wecan encourage one another, we can
lift each other up and we canlive out God's plan for financial
freedom. And you can join usand learn more at financiallyconfidentchristian.com/join.

(05:33):
Why don't you come join methere? Because together we can help
others find peace, we can helpothers find purpose, and we can help
others find confidence inChrist. Again, that's financiallyconfidentchristian.com/join
and I just want to say this.You've planned with purpose. You've
prayed with a deep faith. Youunderstand the reason. And now it's

(05:54):
time to rest in the peaceyou've been preparing for. Because
you don't have to earn God'speace. Listen to me on that one.
It's already yours. The mostmeaningful gift this Christmas isn't
what's under the tree. It'sthe quiet confidence that God is
with you. He will never leaveyou nor forsake you. That's a promise
in his word. And that whatyou've done is enough. What he's
done for you is enough. And Ijust want to take a minute now. I

(06:16):
want to preview next month'sseries. We're going to move into
December. I'm calling it theDecember Reset. It's a time to reflect,
refocus and prepare for thenew year. So starting tomorrow, we're
going to turn the page fromsurviving the holidays. Yes, you're
going to be living in theholidays, but again, you've got the
ability to do it. And we'regoing to talk about building a stronger
spiritual and financialfoundation for the year. And I want

(06:37):
to do this, what I'm callingthe December reset. We're going to
reflect on your financialyear. We're going to talk about your
wins, your lessons and yourgrowth. I'm going to help you refocus
on goals that align with yourfaith. And I'm going to help you
prepare for the new yeargrounded in clarity, contentment
and confidence. And listen,I'm going to retain the first episode.
It's going to drop tomorrow.And it's how to reflect on your financial

(06:58):
year, wins, lessons andgrowth. And I just want to close
with this. You've shown thatpeace is possible. Now let's carry
that peace forward and stepinto a new year walking in faith,
wisdom and freedom. I hope youjoin me for tomorrow's show and join
me for the December series. Sogo today and be that financially
confident Christian. Stayfinancially savvy. God bless you

(07:21):
and you have a great day today.