Hope Still Lives Here: Holding Onto God When the Holidays Hurt
The holiday season is often filled with lights, music, and celebration… but for many, it is also filled with quiet tears, loneliness, grief, disappointment, or emotional heaviness. Some are grieving loved ones who are no longer here. Others are navigating divorce, broken relationships, grown children who no longer come home, or the stress of not having enough financially. If the holidays feel heavy instead of happy, you are not alone — and you are not forgotten.
Even in painful seasons, one truth remains: hope still lives here, because God still lives here. He is present, He cares, and He is faithful.
Key Points with Scripture
Find Reasons to Be Joyful — Even Small Ones Matter
Joy is not denial. It doesn’t erase pain instantly, but it invites hope into hurting places. Finding reasons to be thankful is a beginning step toward healing.
“The joy of the Lord is your strength.”
Nehemiah 8:10
Watch What You Speak — Your Words Carry Power
What comes out of our mouths shapes what we believe and how we feel. Are we constantly speaking defeat, or are we speaking faith and hope? Speaking faith may not remove depression immediately, but it helps open the door to healing.
“Life and death are in the power of the tongue.”
Proverbs 18:21
Guard Your Mind — What Are You Thinking?
The Bible tells us that our thoughts shape our reality. When our minds stay fixed on only pain and loss, the darkness feels deeper. Shifting our thoughts toward God’s truth and hope allows light to break through.
“As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he.”
Proverbs 23:7
Walk By Faith — Even When It Hurts
Walking by faith does not mean pretending we aren’t hurting. It doesn’t ignore sadness or depression. Walking by faith is choosing to trust God even while we are hurting. It is an act of trust that says, “God, I don’t understand this season, but I still believe You.”
“For we walk by faith, not by sight.”
2 Corinthians 5:7
“All things are possible to them who believe.”
Mark 9:23
Biblical Examples of Walking by Faith When It Hurt
Job — He lost everything — children, health, finances — yet still declared, “Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him.” (Job 13:15)
Hannah — She prayed through deep emotional pain and shame, yet kept believing God could change her story. (1 Samuel 1)
David — He wrote psalms through seasons of depression, fear, rejection, and grief but kept trusting God. (Psalm 34, Psalm 42)
Abraham — He trusted God’s promise even when it seemed impossible and painful to wait. (Romans 4:18-21)
The woman with the issue of blood — She pressed through pain, isolation, and years of suffering to reach Jesus. (Mark 5:25-34)
Jesus Himself — In His deepest anguish in Gethsemane, He still surrendered and trusted the Father. (Luke 22:42)
Faith does not deny pain — faith holds onto God in the middle of pain.
Faith Is Still a Choice
It may be hard. It may require pressing. But choosing faith is still a decision. And God honors faith.
“Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord.”
Jeremiah 17:7
Joy Still Has a Morning
Your night season does not cancel God’s promise. Morning may not come overnight, but God assures us that joy still exists ahead.
“Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.”
Psalm 30:5
And God invites us to truly try Him. Just as a child is asked to try food before saying they don’t like it:
“Taste and see that the Lord is good.”
Psalm 34:8
Even in Waiting, God Is Working
Some are hurting. Others are simply waiting — for healing, answers, restoration, peace, strength. Waiting does not mean abandoned. God is still moving, even when we cannot see it.
Reflections
What have you been speaking lately — despair or hope?
What thoughts are you feeding your spirit?
Have you tried trusting God again in this season?
Could shifting your words and thoughts help reshape your experience?
Could choosing faith, even while hurting, invite God to bring comfort?
Maybe — just maybe — intentionally shifting perspective, conversation, and thought patterns could allow a better and different experience this holiday season. God desires peace and joy for us. His promises are still “Yes and Amen.” (2 Corinthians 1:20)
Closing Thoughts
If you are hurting this holiday season, God sees you. He is close to the brokenhearted. He cares about your sadness, depression, grief, and emotional weight. Even when life feels dark, hope still lives here, because God is still here. Hold onto Him — because He is surely holding onto you.