How Christian Writers Can End the Year With Peace (Not Burnout)

Happy November, you amazing writer you!

This month can be a creatively charged one if you’re participating in the writer challenges that pop up around this time of year.

However, if you find yourself stressing about meeting end-of-year expectations or dreading the start of the new year, then I have some encouragement just for you today.

When the End of the Year Feels Chaotic (Not Peaceful)

During a recent visit to the nursing home with our church, I shared with the residents that our family approaches the holiday season a lot differently than we see most people do.

For many families, November and December are a mad rush of shopping, events, functions, etc. So many are frazzled with jam-packed weekends that they crash into New Year’s with a sense of defeat rather than one of rest and rejuvenation.

Our family hits the brakes hard this time of year. We plan events with intention, not obligation. We cultivate relationships from a place of joy rather than striving to meet the expectations of others. And we end the year refreshed and renewed.

But best of all, my mind is clear to dream, plan, and receive downloads for the year to come.

My friend, that clarity is what I want for you as well. That’s why in today’s episode, we’re doing a two-part heart chat.

We’re diving into a mindset that helps you cultivate peace for that clearer mind, but then also some tips to guard time for rest and family before the craziness of the holiday season hits in full force.

Understanding Prayer Through a New Lens

We’re starting off today’s chat in Philippians 4:4-7. If you’ve been part of my newsletter for any length of time, then you already know I love these scriptures.

However, there’s something specific that I’d love for us to grasp today from verses 6 and 7.

I never want to get so familiar with scriptures that I never allow the Holy Spirit to open my eyes to something new, especially if it’s an on-time word. That’s why I always try to have a teachable spirit.

And as we dive into these scriptures, we’ll see not only deep truths to shape our lives, but a promise for us to cling to.

So starting in verse 4, the Word says,

“Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!

Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand.

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

We know I’m a nerd, and I geek out over the craziest things.

When we look at verse 6, we might consider words like prayer, supplication, and thanksgiving as actions when we bring our petitions unto the Lord.

However, if we dive deeper, we discover that in the original Greek, these three words (prayer, supplication, and thanksgiving) are nouns.

And if we take a quick trip back to our English grammar classes, we’ll remember that nouns are people, places, things, but also states of being.

So rather than these being actions, they’re postures we assume when we come before the Lord in prayer.

This paints a far more beautiful picture.

Why “Prayer, Supplication, and Thanksgiving” Are Not Actions—But Postures

Why would coming before the Lord in a posture of worship, humility, and gratitude matter?

Many could argue that prayer is prayer, right?

Wellllll …

When we come before the Lord in this posture of worship, humility, and gratitude, regardless of our circumstances, regardless of the situation, regardless of our resources, then it’s in this process that we remind ourselves just who it is that we serve.

We do not serve a figment of our imagination. We don’t serve some entity in the sky that rides the clouds.

We serve the living God. The One who spoke, “Let there be light,” and there was light.

We serve the Eternal One who reigns on high and who spoke the universe into existence. He who breathed the breath of life into all of humanity.

The One who loved us so much that He couldn’t bear to be separated from us and sent His Son as a sacrifice to redeem us back to Himself.

Our God has done great, mighty, and wondrous things. There is nothing too hard for our God.

When we remind ourselves of His awesomeness and His sovereignty, then we notice that our problems seem much smaller in comparison to our very real—and very big—God.

That posture of worship and adoration realigns the eyes of our hearts off the problems and back onto our Good Father.

When Fear Becomes an Idol in Our Creative Calling

Curious to know which words in verse 6 are the key action verbs? Ooh, I’m so glad because I can’t wait to share them with you.

The first is ‘anxious’. Yep, anxious in this verse is a verb and an action we’re encouraged not to walk out.

The second is making known our requests.

So our actions—our choices—are either anxiousness or surrender; fear or faith.

Fear or Faith? The Choice Every Christian Writer Must Make

The Lord has been talking to us a lot about the relationship between time and fear, and one of the key takeaways I’ve gleaned from this season of life is that fear can become an idol if we’re not careful.

Many of our circumstances and situations can feel absolutely hopeless. I get it. And when fear, worry, doubt, or unbelief creep in, it can seem easiest to bow to the crushing weight of intimidation rather than do the hard thing of standing strong in the midst of heartache and uncertainty.

I’m so guilty of this myself. I can’t tell you how long I hid my talent like the wicked servant out of fear rather than taking what God had entrusted to me and running with it wholeheartedly.

But we need to ask ourselves, will we close out this year bowing to fear, or will we believe what Romans 8:37 tells us, that “we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.”

The Promise God Gives When We Choose Worship Over Worry

When we come before the Lord in a posture of worship, humility, and gratitude, choosing to trust and believe in the goodness of God, then we have a beautiful promise awaiting us.

Let’s revisit verses 6 and 7 so we can catch the promise being given.

Did you catch it?

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your heart and mind through Christ Jesus.

And if that peace is acting as a guard over your heart and mind, then guess what’s getting evicted?

Yep, the storm clouds of worry, doubt, and unbelief.

And the Lord will replace those storm clouds with Himself, bringing with Him wisdom, knowledge, and understanding to supply the answers to the requests you’ve surrendered unto Him.

My friend, I can’t tell you how much I love this and how much I want this peace to overflow in your life.

This type of peace defies human logic and is a peace so complete, so filling, and so freeing that you will have rest even in the darkest of storms.

Now that doesn’t mean you’ll receive the outcome you want. But God does promise His peace unto you through Christ Jesus.

And this can be a hard point for many. Because we all—myself included—want things to work out in the way that we envision them. Because our hearts are connected to the outcomes we’ve dreamt for ourselves and our writing careers.

However, can we trust that God really does care for us? And can we believe that He really does have good in mind for us—even if we can’t see that good unfolding in real time.

Strengthening Your Faith Foundation as a Writer

One last scripture before we transition into the second part of today’s chat:

Hebrews 11:6 says,

“But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”

Lately, I feel like I’m on this soapbox, preaching to any writer who’ll listen, that our deepest struggles converge around whether or not we will trust and believe that God is who He says He is.

This is something that must be answered in faith. Will we believe that God is? And will we believe that He is a rewarder of them who diligently seek Him?

And if we truly, honestly believe that God is a rewarder of them who diligently seek Him, then why are we chasing so hard to fulfill our own hopes and dreams? And in turn, relying on our own power and understanding?

If We’re Worried, Are We Trusting?

Proverbs 3 reminds us not to lean upon our own understanding, but in all our ways to trust in God.

If we’re worried, then are we trusting?

If we’re fearful, then are we believing?

If we’re drowning, then why did we take our eyes off Jesus?

My friend, I encourage you to sit with the Holy Spirit today and allow Him to do an honest heart evaluation. To shine the light of truth upon the deepest areas of your heart so that truth can bring you freedom in ways you never imagined where possible.

Because when you strengthen that faith foundation, then coming before the Lord in a posture of worship, humility, and gratitude won’t seem like an impossible thing to ask. If anything, it will become so second-nature that you won’t even notice you’re doing it. His Spirit becomes a part of you.

4 Practical Ways to End the Year With Peace (Not Burnout)

So, as we switch gears from our mini Bible study, let’s chat about four tips to help you guard your time this holiday season to not only end the year refreshed and revived but also to set yourself up for clarity and renewed purpose for 2026.

I promise, with those storm clouds evicted from your mind, you will have the freedom to hear God’s direction more clearly.

Because with our hearts anchored in peace rather than fear, we will make wiser decisions with our time. Peace influences planning. Fear influences overcommitment.

So let’s dive into those four tips. I wrote these in no particular order, so feel free to lean into the one that speaks to you most.

Tip #1 — Be Honest About Your Season

Operate with the flow and not against it.

There is a lot about God—and ourselves—that we can learn if we lean into our individual seasons rather than fighting against where God is trying to have us go.

No one’s life is a mirror image of someone else’s. We’re all at different stages, going through different things. Embrace where God has you and trust in the purpose that He’s instilling.

There is a reason for your journey. There is a lesson to be had. And it will be for your good.

Lean into Him, don’t run from Him.

Tip #2 — Be Honest About Your Energy Levels

Don’t plan your schedule based on the you that you want to be. Block out your time based on the you that you actually are.

It’s hard to admit that you aren’t superwoman, but the reality is you can’t do everything. And that’s okay.

Tip #3 — Embrace the Power of “No”

Despite popular belief, you don’t have to do all the events, traditions, volunteering, etc. You can say no.

And this is your permission to be selective and intentional in what you give your ‘yes’ to. Everything else gets a polite ‘no’.

Tip #4 — Practice a Personal Advent of Expectancy

We all have a general understanding of Advent around Christmastime. Especially if you have the kind of Advent calendars like ours that involve delicious chocolates.

But I’d like for us to look at this from a specific angle.

Are You Preparing for God’s Presence—or Just Performing Tasks?

Picture with me a castle—like the ones we love with knights and renowned kings.

A good and just king has been away from his castle for a long time, but has sent word to his servants that he’s coming and coming soon. So the servants bustle about, laboring intently in anticipation of their king’s arrival.

They don’t know when the king will come. But they know it’s up to them to be ready and prepared.

However, not all of the servants have the same heart posture.

Some of the servants labor with loyalty and intention from a place of adoration. They adore their king. They love their king, and they do their utmost to ensure that all is in preparation for the arrival of their king. They wait for him. Watch for him. And eagerly anticipate the day they hear the trumpets announcing the king’s coming.

Then there’s another set of servants laboring for the king out of loyalty. They, too, give their utmost to ensure that all preparations are completed, but they do so from a place of duty.

They serve effectively and efficiently, but their hearts do not burn with adoration. They are just doing their job to the best of their ability so that the king will be pleased with their efforts.

They’re more concerned with not facing punishment rather than actually desiring the presence of their king.

Both types of servants were preparing to receive their king. But only one type of servant yearns for the king’s presence out of love for their king. The other servant simply does their duty out of basic loyalty.

Which one feels like a close representation of how you approach your time and responsibilities?

Let these four tips inspire you to ponder how you want to approach this upcoming holiday season.

Allow the Holy Spirit to meet with you as you sit and reflect on this heart chat. And ask the Lord which of these four tips He would like to teach you more about.

You are dear and precious to the kingdom of God, and I know there is good on the horizon meant for you.

I may want deep-rooted peace for you. But only you can seek the Lord for yourself.

Seek the Lord, my friend, and be made free.

Closing Encouragement

If there’s a churning in your spirit, then I consider that a good thing.

It means you’re listening and that your heart is tender to the leading of the Lord. Don’t rush through the conversation He wants to have with you.

Give Him your time and let Him steer you on how to conquer the remaining weeks of 2025. And as you walk with Him, may you experience that wondrous peace, joy, hope, and a deep refreshing of your spirit.

The year isn’t over yet. Which means there’s still hope for a big, wonderful, and even miraculous movement of God.

Be encouraged, my friend. God’s got you, and I’m cheering you on.

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I’m so grateful for you and can’t wait to see you next time.

Until next time. Happy writing, and enjoy the journey.