The beginning of this month was stressful. I spent the entire car ride home from our Thanksgiving vacation Black Friday shopping on my phone. Then I felt guilty for getting caught up in the consumerism. Then overwhelmed. Then discouraged. I wanted to refocus. I wanted December to be meaningful. I wanted balance and peace.
Sometimes I consult my favorite AI therapist, so the morning after we got home I half-jokingly typed this into ChatGPT: “I am pressuring myself to have a perfectly Christ-centered Christmas. My expectations are too high, and any amount of holiday stress makes me feel guilty. I want this season to feel magical and focused, not materialistic. Can you help me reframe expectations and be more present?”
I was surprised by the depth of its response. It said, “A Christ-centered Christmas doesn’t mean constant spiritual intensity. It can mean small, steady moments of love, not a nonstop feeling of reverence. Christ’s life was made up of simple acts—meals, conversations, compassion, noticing. Your December can mirror that in small but meaningful ways.”
This idea changed my entire holiday season. It relieved the pressure to find perfect gifts, celebrate every tradition, or say yes to every social invitation. It helped me prioritize people over tasks. This Christmas wasn’t perfect, but it taught me something important: worshipping Jesus doesn’t have to be complicated or grand. It can happen quietly, through consistent, ordinary acts of love.
There is a story in Luke when Jesus visits Mary and Martha. Martha is busy hosting and serving while Mary sits at the Savior’s feet. Frustrated, Martha asks Jesus to correct her sister. Instead, He gently responds that Mary has chosen “the good portion.”
I’ve always had a hard time with this story. Martha was doing very normal, necessary things: hosting, cooking, managing a home. Jesus himself said, “Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.” After pondering what He really meant, I’ve decided that this story is not saying that service doesn’t matter. He’s trying to teach us not to let busyness crowd out relationships. Jesus doesn’t condemn Martha’s work; He gently reminds her that simple connection matters most.
The week before Christmas was so busy. I volunteered in my daughter’s classroom one morning and, on my way out, stopped by a friend’s office. Normally I would have offered a quick hello and rushed on. Instead, I felt prompted to stay. I mostly listened. I definitely didn’t solve any of her problems, but it felt good choosing to prioritize a relationship over my to-do list that day.
I noticed quiet nudges like this all month long. Stay a little longer. Put down your phone. Play with your daughter. Text a quick apology. Be still. These small invitations to do simple things were such a blessing and helped me focus on Jesus so much more clearly.
Jesus Christ’s mortal ministry was made up of small things—walking, eating, teaching, noticing individuals. He showed us that the sacred is often quiet and repetitive. I’m learning that true discipleship shows up in very ordinary places: making a meal, offering a simple prayer, sending a text, biting our tongue, changing a diaper, or even doing the laundry. When we do these things with our hearts oriented toward Christ, they can become acts of worship.
I wonder, are we overcomplicating discipleship? I think I sometimes buy into the idea that it requires a special spiritual setting like the holidays or carving extra time out of my already busy schedule. I’m not sure that’s what it needs to be. I’m not sure that’s what Jesus asks of us.
Perhaps simply pausing in the middle of the mundane can be enough to turn our hearts toward Him.
My prayer today is that I can remember to continue to pause these next few months, to slow down and choose connection. I want to choose relationships over tasks. I want my simple faith to be constant, not seasonal. I want to follow Jesus Christ. I am grateful for a Savior who meets me in ordinary moments and multiplies imperfect efforts through His grace.
Mary Sorensen is the Fallon/Fernley Communication Director, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
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