Love and Serenity
The Fourth Week of Advent
Reflection By Scott Stoner
God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference.
- Reinhold Niebuhr
Many churches held “longest night” services this past week to honor many people who are grieving during the holidays because of change or loss, often in the past year. With pressure to feel a certain way during this season, feelings of sadness and loss can be especially hard to carry.
Perhaps you are experiencing a challenging change. Maybe it is your first Christmas without a special person present. Or you just don’t have the “Christmas spirit” this year.
The Serenity Prayer offers wise guidance about finding peace amid change and worry. It reminds us there’s a difference between what we can control and what we cannot, and that wisdom lies in knowing the difference.
While the how, where, and with whom we celebrate Christmas changes throughout our lives, the true meaning of Christmas never changes. It is the love of God made manifest through Jesus. This love provides us, through acceptance, courage, and wisdom, the opportunity to find serenity even when facing different circumstances.
Love provides the foundation for serenity because it assures us we’re not alone, regardless of circumstances. God’s love is constant even when everything else changes. Even in loss or difficulty, we can practice generous love—sometimes accepting help from others or being present to our own pain with compassion.
Making it Personal: How do the words of the Serenity Prayer speak to you this season? How might you cultivate serenity, courage, and wisdom, connecting with deeper spiritual aspects of Christmas? Today, identify one thing you cannot change and accept it with love, and one thing you can change and take generous action.