O Come All Ye Faithful

Christmas—to some this is a favorite time of year, yet to others, it is anything but joyful. Sometimes life has a way of bringing you down, even during the Hallmark movie season. 

Christmas can be a reminder of another holiday without a loved one, a reminder of broken relationships with family and friends or maybe it’s something that feels breathtakingly acute—a devastating diagnosis, loss of a job, another miscarriage. The fanfare can feel like a band-aid on the gaping wound of anxiety, depression, or loneliness. 

When I hear lyrics like, “O come all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant”, an immediate scoff rises from within. How can I be joyful when the weight of life is so heavy? How can I be faithful to Him when I can’t even give my best self ? 

Psalm 34:3-5 says, “Come, let us tell of the Lord’s greatness; let us exalt His name together. I prayed to the Lord, and He answered me. He freed me from all my fears. Those who look to Him for help will be radiant with joy; no shadow of shame will darken their faces.” 

These verses show that we are not supposed to handle the baggage of life on our own and how in the midst of our situation, we are supposed to be directing our attention to the Lord.Just like Psalm 34, the hymn O Come all Ye Faithful redirects my attention to where it should be, on Jesus. “O come all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant, O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem, Come and behold Him, Born the King of Angels. O come let us adore Him”. 

The definition of adore means to worship. In other words, bring your baggage, your wounds, and your disappointments and worship Him. Jesus isn’t the family member who will judge you for bringing four pieces of luggage to an overnight stay. He welcomes you and all your baggage into His home (that is perfectly decorated for Christmas with a fire in the background and fresh cookies on the counter, of course).

Jesus’ invitation isn’t to put on a brave face and just make it through this Christmas. Maybe, His invitation is to cling to Him in worship. Worship doesn’t change your circumstances, but it can change you. You might just find yourself feeling joyful despite the circumstances of life that are weighing you down this Christmas season. 

~Jenna Frisk