First United Methodist Church of Springfield
Share Your Gifts, Grow The Faith
Worship time is at 9:30 AM on Sunday and is livestreamed on Facebook. Nursery care is available at most services.
480 Main St., Springfield, NE
Whether you are a regular attendee of worship services, coming to your first worship service, or somewhere in-between… You are welcome here. Please join us!
FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH OF SPRINGFIELD is providing outreach and resources to people and families who are seeking a relationship with God and to other like-minded individuals and families. We are a community church with programs for everyone.
Help us build the Springfield Community Pantry! Click the button below or Food Pantry tab for more info!
How to find Joy and Happiness in Hard Times
The Christmas season is often described as a time of joy. We sing carols celebrating the birth of our Savior, gather with friends and family, make memories and exchange gifts. These are beautiful reminders that joy is meant to be shared.
Yet for many people, this season can deepen an already heavy burden. Some are lonely or far from family. Some face strained relationships, divorce, financial pressure, illness, or grief. For them, the question is real: Where can joy be found when life is hard?
Scripture offers this assurance:
“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not hang like shifting shadows.” James 1:17
Dr. David Jeremiah once reflected on living with a disease that took away the ability to walk. He explained that such a loss made him more aware of what remained: the gifts he still had, and the goodness God continued to provide. His words do not deny pain or suggest that loss is insignificant. Rather, they invite us to choose where we will fix our attention.
Hard times can easily draw our eyes toward what has been taken away: health, security, relationships, plans, or peace of mind. Those losses matter, and God does not ask us to pretend otherwise. But, even in the midst of them, He invites us to notice what remains: His presence, His faithfulness, His word, the people who care for us and the daily mercies we may otherwise overlook.
Lasting joy is not dependent on a full bank account, perfect health or an ideal family gathering. These blessings can change, but God does not. Christ is a source of a deeper joy— one that can co-exist with sorrow, sustain us through uncertainty, and give us hope when circumstances do not improve as quickly as we wish.
This Christmas, may we reconnect— or perhaps connect for the first time—with Christ in a personal way. Whether we enter the season with abundance or need, surrounded by loved ones or sitting in a quiet home, Jesus remains the gift that does not fade, shift or disappear.
As we gather, travel, serve, and celebrate, let us place Christ at the center. In Him, we find joy that lasts beyond Christmas and hope that remains present even in hard times.
Faithfully yours, Kalaba