LIVING OUT DECEMBER
[7-minute read]
The last month of the year can be a time of ambivalence to many. December marks the end of a calendar year and the beginning of another. It is a time that triggers powerful memories of personal milestones, as well as moments, people, or seasons of life gone, and mistakes made. With a mix of gratitude and regret, we recall what went well, what was lost, and what never happened, and quietly resolve to “do better” next year. Except that without the right self-reflection and taking deliberate steps for change, next year becomes pretty much the same (if not a worse) version of the current one.
So how do we live out December so that the year will close with biblical hope, positive actions, and healing conversations that better prepare us to step into all the opportunities for growth and fulfilment that God has in store for us in the new year?
Let’s take a different look at what DECEMBER means.
DELIGHT In the Lord
Prolific images of holiday meals together and festive cheer can trigger loneliness for people in all stages of life when such reminders clash painfully with our lived realities.
God is not unmoved and indifferent when joy feels scarce to us. However, we are to continue to “Take delight in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.” (Psalm 37:4).
Regardless of what is happening in our lives, to praise and worship God demonstrates a desire for Him, and is something we have control of. It reverses the tendency to blame Him for anything, and prepare our hearts to host and engage Him.
ENCOUNTER God’s Presence
It is imperative to engage God all the time. Make it a habit to speak honestly with God - unfiltered by the need to sound right and defensive. It hurts God when He is consistently ignored because He is always near and always around. This is something He has assured us over and over again in the Bible - He is never absent, distant or unresponsive to us.
“The Lord Himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” (Deuteronomy 31:8). “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.” (Isaiah 41:10).
These are not inspiration, feel-good quotes: they are God’s promise and the irrefutable truth for all believers.
CARRY Gratitude In Your Heart
Biblical gratitude is not a euphoric bliss that downplays realities. There is grief over strained relationships, disappointment when people let us down, and the tension between the life we want and the realities we face.
Yet, we have not sunk to the bottom because God’s grace keeps us afloat and most of all, safe. For this reason, it doesn’t help to go around just saying ‘I feel grateful to God’ without being able to say for what.
But let’s say you faced unfair treatment or injustice, and someone who has no knowledge of what you are going through started showing you kindness from out of nowhere. Is this coincidence or God’s setup? Or you find yourself unexpectedly navigating intense feelings of loss and sadness as an empty nester or a single adult in late-stage life, and you discover a community outside your family that welcomes you as their own. Someone walking through a long season of personal trials, yet experiencing a series of professional milestones, could be thankful to God for His reminder that the personal breakthroughs will come.
Colossians 3:16 makes it clear that we don’t just talk ourselves out of things but we are to “teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.”
All this is to say, we should preserve what we are grateful for!
ELIMINATE Anything That Displeases God
Bad habits that affect our spiritual health and well-being include inertia, apathy, ungodly relationships (even with people of good character), and a fixation over outcomes that takes the joy out of anything we do.
Colossians 3:8-10 [NLT] tells us “now is the time to get rid of anger, rage, malicious behaviour, slander, and dirty language. Don’t lie to each other…”. Make no mistake that all this hides behind a myriad of unhealthy behaviour.
If we need help, we should not rule out the benefits of counselling and therapy to repair any broken perspective of self and support a more resilient faith in God.
MEDITATE On The Truth & Power Of God’s Word
In academic writing, assertions need to be substantiated with reliable literature because unsubstantiated statements are generally not regarded as credible. We need to practice the same requirement for our self-talk and the unverified statements that we allow to replay continuously in our minds! All thoughts and self-talk should be based on the Word of God.
Why is this important? The Bible tells us that “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17, NLT).
The common refrain people use ‘it’s all in your mind’ is not entirely untrue. Whether we are conscious of it or not, what we are and what we do follows what goes on in our minds. And our hearts are affected by all of that.
BE A Blessing
Secular thinking elevates personal comfort, convenience, and happiness as central themes. We use technology to support these goals rather than strengthen interpersonal connections. These themes are often mixed into the Christian thinking of what makes a ‘good life’. As a result, we prioritize convenience and self over compassion and presence for others.
Self-centred thinking distorts what it means to ‘be a blessing’ to others, and what we will do to bless others. Even around Christmas, many of us downplay the significance of gifting simply to avoid ‘commercial gifting’ and the hassle of shopping for a gift.
But we forget that Christmas is first a gift to mankind. Time spent to write a card is a gift of connection. Getting a gift wrapped prettily demonstrates that someone is worth the effort because we value the content of the relationship.
If we say we have nothing to give, the Bible refutes this argument with 1 Peter 4:10 (NLT): “God has given each of you a gift from His great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another.”
ENJOY The Fruits Of Your Labor
December is a good time to take stock of our growth. The Bible tell us “every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit.” (Matthew 7:17-18). To be honest, not all trees bear fruits. If anyone finds that their life lacks evidence of growth, ask God what has been neglected and what needs to be nourished to produce fruit.
Ecclesiastes 3:13 (NLT) reminds us that “people should eat and drink and enjoy the fruits of their labour, for these are gifts from God.” Many work tirelessly to achieve success in corporate work and in ministry but lack the appetite for relaxation and friendships, missing out on enjoying the fruits of their labour with each other. The emphasis is on putting aside time to nourish individual lives with mini-celebrations, to offer our comfort and companionship. Our lives are not a series of mini-projects that go on a score card, but stories that glorify God, deepen our faith and strengthen our ties.
REMEMBER Jesus
We can be so preoccupied with the things happening around us that we forget the One who has consistently watched over us, provided for us, shielded us from harm and danger, given us the strength and courage to walk through the darkest times, and opened our eyes to see hope and breakthrough in spite of roadblocks.
The best place to remember this can be found in the book of Deuteronomy 8:10-18 (NLT) – or the book of do-no-forget - where it says, “When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the Lord your God for the good land He has given you. Be careful that you do not forget the Lord your God…otherwise, you will forget the Lord your God… But remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you the ability to produce wealth…”
To ‘remember’ is not a matter of having a fleeting recall, but of creating a habitual connection and consciousness of who Jesus is and how He has showed up in our own lives.
Let’s live out the rest of December 2025 with gusto, courage and humility!
This is a summary and reflection based on a virtual BIR Session held on 6 December 2025.
