🎧 Can you hear it? The familiar sound of the holiday season is already upon us: the cheerful jingle of carols, the loud rush of shoppers, the constant ping of new notifications, and the relentless pressure to do more, see more, and buy more!!
For us married couples, this symphony of noise often drowns out the quiet, gentle rhythm of our covenant. The stress of the season doesn't just tire us out; it pulls us apart, making us short-tempered with our spouse and distracted from the ultimate purpose of this season: Christ.
In our previous post, we talked about setting boundaries with the C.H.R.I.S.T. acronym to protect your marriage from holiday family conflict. That was about external boundaries. Now, let’s talk about internal protection—creating sacred stillness. We need to hit the "Holy Noise Cancellation" button to guard the most precious gift we have, which is our spouse and our life with God.
🌿 Remembering the Harvest of a Quiet Heart
If you recall from our post on The Harvest of a Quiet Heart, we discussed how cultivating stillness leads to grace, patience, and a soft answer in our marriage. The holiday season is the greatest threat to that quiet heart!
The enemy doesn't need to incite major sin during Advent; he only needs to incite chaos. Chaos robs you of peace, and a chaotic mind cannot produce the fruit of the Spirit. If your heart is running a marathon of worry and obligation, you won't have the emotional energy to sow seeds of grace for your spouse.
Your marriage covenant is a sanctuary. Don't let the world turn it into a high-traffic lobby full of holiday stress.
🛡️ Cancelling the Noise to Protect Your Covenant
To walk together towards God this Christmas, you and your spouse must be intentional about creating pockets of stillness. This intentional stillness acts as the "Noise Cancellation" for your soul.
Here are three simple ways to guard your covenant from the noise:
1. Covenant Comes First: The 15-Minute Sanctuary
Remember that first letter in the C.H.R.I.S.T. acronym: Covenant Comes First.
The Action: Schedule a non-negotiable 15-Minute Sanctuary with your spouse every day. This is the only appointment that matters.
The Rule: No phones, no planning, no kids' logistics. Just sit. Read a short scripture together (the Nativity story works well), share one thing you are grateful for, and pray a simple, short prayer for your spouse and your marriage.
The Result: You are reminding your hearts that your unity in Christ is more sacred than the 100 other demands of the day. You are filling your hearts with peace together before the rush begins.
2. Release Expectations: Guarding Your Shared Time
The holiday season is full of pressure to attend every party, bake every cookie, and see every light display. This is the R in C.H.R.I.S.T.—Release Expectations.
The Action: Review your calendar as a couple and identify three things that are causing you the most stress. Then, choose to release one of them. Say "no" to a party, buy the cookies instead of baking, or simplify your gift list.
The Rule: You must be united in the decision. One spouse should not shoulder the burden of the extra commitment or the guilt of saying "no."
The Result: You gain back hours of time and peace—two invaluable gifts you can then pour back into your marriage, not into frantic activity.
3. Seek Peace: Prioritizing Quiet Service
The holiday rush often turns us inward, focused on our to-do list. However, true quietness comes from fixing our eyes outward, onto the example of Christ. This is the S in C.H.R.I.S.T.—Seek Peace and Pursue It.
The Action: Instead of spending an afternoon at the mall, spend that time serving together. Find a local non-profit or shelter that needs help wrapping gifts or sorting donations.
The Rule: Go into this act of service with a quiet, thankful heart. Focus on the blessing of giving, not the burden of adding another task.
The Result: Serving as a united front shifts your perspective from consumption to compassion. You will find that true spiritual peace is pursued and captured when you and your spouse are walking together in step with the heart of Christ.
Dear couples, don't let the noise of the world hijack your holy season or your holy covenant. Intentionally seek the stillness, remember the grace of a quiet heart, and make the radical, peace-filled decision to prioritize your covenant above the chaos.
Let's pray together:
Heavenly Father, we thank you for the gift of stillness and the peace that only You can provide. Guard our hearts and our marriage from the noise of this season. Help us to put our covenant first, to release the expectations that steal our joy, and to pursue peace in every moment. May our home be a sanctuary where the quiet grace of Christ reigns. In the precious name of Jesus, we pray. Amen.
Blessings and love,
The Mckaneys'
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