Happy Sabbath Brethren!

As crazy as it may seem, this secular year is already coming to an end. This means that cold weather has come, the sun sets very early in the evening, and most of the world turns their attention on the "holidays." It is astonishing to witness how much effort and money goes into observing these days. Black Friday spending this year surpassed $12 billion. Decorations are going up all around us. Parties are had, travel is arranged, and lots of food is made and consumed. With all this going on it may be surprising to hear, that as many as 25% of Americans suffer from some form of depression after the holidays. The reason cited is that in most cases, expectations do not match reality. This depression is known as post-holiday letdown.

In some of the writings about this malady, advice is offered on how to address the letdown. This ranges from engaging in meditation, planning for activities post-holidays, and making a point to doing special things for yourself.

The reality is that these holidays promise something they can not deliver. Many well-meaning people look to these days for meaning and fulfillment, but their focus is misplaced. To find true fulfillment and meaning in life, a person must look to the only one Who can provide it, God.

We as Christians do not partake of the holidays season, but this does not mean we are immune from setting our hopes on something without real value and experiencing a "letdown."

To combat this, we need to make sure our focus is on proper spiritual things. We are told in Colossians 3:1-2 that we should "Set our minds on things above, not on things on the Earth." The whole of chapter 3 is great to read if we need a reminder of where our attention should be. Verse three points out that our life, our whole being, is hidden with Christ in God. This should lead us to act differently. Which means stopping certain thoughts and actions (verses 5-9), and instead start to live like Christ (Verses 10-17).

It is a profound blessing to understand our true meaning and purpose in life. We do not need to spend our time on empty pursuits that have no real meaning, which in turn lead to the holiday letdown. How well are doing at maintaining this focus? This is a great question to ask, and then renew our commitment to keeping our minds on the things above. As we are faithful in doing this, the result will not be a letdown, but it will be truly glorious (Colossians 3:4).

I pray that this is a meaningful Sabbath for us all!

Devin Schulz