Why Am I Still So Worried About Christmas?

Ralph, I've been planning and budgeting all month, but I'm still anxious about Christmas. What if I can't make it perfect for my family? What if I fall short again this year? Now that is a difficult question, but I get it.We live in a culture that sells perfection. And it's wrapped in glitter and bows. Every commercial, every scroll on social media screams, if it's not perfect, it's not enough.But here's the truth. Perfection isn't peace. You gotta hear that. Perfection is pressure. Perfection is comparison. And it's the enemy of contentment.And maybe that's why, even after all your planning and praying, you still feel uneasy today. Because peace doesn't come from getting Christmas right. It comes from remembering God's already made you enough.So today, as we close this month, this holiday survival series, I want to remind you, you already have what it takes to make this Christmas meaningful and debt free. So today, let's focus on what we've learned today. And let's finalize our holiday survival plans. That's what we're going to cover on today's show.

This is Financially Confident Christian. Your daily dose of gospel, grounded insight and faith driven tips to help you break the cycle of financial shame with confidence.

Welcome to the show. I'm Ralph. I am so happy you chose to join me.If you've been along with me this whole 30 day journey, man, we have learned a lot over the past 30 days and I continue to help you every day break that cycle of financial shame and, and do it with confidence. And I'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't feel right.And I said to her, I said, here I'm give you a little guidance. That's because peace doesn't live in your receipts. It lives in your relationships. But that's the truth. I love what Max Lucado says.He's a Christian author and pastor. You may not have heard of him, but this guy, he nails it. He says you don't have to be perfect to be loved by a perfect God.We love a perfect God, don't we? But we're not perfect. See, God's peace isn't earned by perfect plans or false holidays. So many people get stuck on that.They think, well, it's got to be perfect. But that's not where it is. It's not about performing well. This isn't a performance. It's all about loving. Well.That's one of the big themes of this whole 30 day series. Because when love becomes the focus, joy finally follows. So let's get back to our question today. What if I can't make it perfect for my family?What if I fall short again this year? I just want to reward you with these things. A couple key points. You got to start with this. Trust what you've learned.We've heard a whole lot this past month. We talked about creating structure. We talked about setting limits. We talked about living in a purpose this month that's not small.Each of those things might seem small in their individual, but that's freedom in motion. So number one, trust what you've learned. Number two, listener, you need to hear this. Let go of perfect.The world's vision of Christmas is a performance perfection. The perfectly choreographed day or week or month. But God's version is presence. I'm gonna encourage you right now. Choose his version.Let go of the world's version of perfect. And last but not least, you've got the tools. You've been practicing financial confidence all month.Now it's time to take that practice and live with it with gratitude and let go of that guilt. Let's get to our Bible verse. It comes from the book of Philippians, chapter 4, verses 6 to 7.It says this, and I've used this on the show countless times, but I want to just reaffirm this today. Do not be anxious about anything. But in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.And the peace of God, which transcend all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. How about we pray together, Lord, as we come to you right now, help us to release that pressure of perfection.Help us to realize that it's not about perfection. It's about your presence and your will for our life. Help us to trust you more. Help us to trust that you've prepared us enough, Lord.Help us to go back to the things that we've learned and help us to put our trust in you.And during this holiday, as it starts tomorrow, the holiday season, help us to find rest and help us to find joy in a peace that only you can provide. And we ask this in the precious name of Jesus. Amen. So here's your action item for today.I want you to just take five minutes today and I want you to write down three lessons that you learned this month.Maybe you got to go back and re listen to some of the shows from the past 30 days, but if you do that, it's going to help you walk in peace this Christmas and just take a minute and thank God for how he's equipped you. And if this message spoke to your heart today, I'd love you to join our new financially confident Christian community.And it's more than just a way to support the show. Sure, you can do that. There's a way to support the show. And I would love it if you do that. But it's a space where we can grow together.We can encourage one another, we can lift each other up and we can live out God's plan for financial freedom. And you can join us and learn more at financiallyconfidentchristian.com/join. Why don't you come join me there?Because together we can help others find peace, we can help others find purpose, and we can help others find confidence in Christ. 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.You understand the reason. And now it's time to rest in the peace you've been preparing for. Because you don't have to earn God's peace. Listen to me on that one.It's already yours. The most meaningful gift this Christmas isn't what's under the tree. It's the quiet confidence that God is with you.He will never leave you nor forsake you. That's a promise in his word. And that what you've done is enough. What he's done for you is enough. And I just want to take a minute now.I want to preview next month's series. We're going to move into December. I'm calling it the December Reset. It's a time to reflect, refocus and prepare for the new year.So starting tomorrow, we're going to turn the page from surviving the holidays. Yes, you're going to be living in the holidays, but again, you've got the ability to do it.And we're going to talk about building a stronger spiritual and financial foundation for the year. And I want to do this, what I'm calling the December reset. We're going to reflect on your financial year.We're going to talk about your wins, your lessons and your growth. I'm going to help you refocus on goals that align with your faith.And I'm going to help you prepare for the new year grounded 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 year, wins, lessons and growth. And I just want to close with this. You've shown that peace is possible.Now let's carry that peace forward and step into a new year walking in faith, wisdom and freedom. I hope you join me for tomorrow's show and join me for the December series. So go today and be that financially confident Christian.Stay financially savvy. God bless you and you have a great day today.