This time of year can bring up many emotions such as deep pains, hurts, loneliness, loss, rejection and STRESS that many, if we are truthful, just want to avoid this season all together. These are real life situations that can not be ignored or belittled. Instead of joy the Holiday blues try to come. If this has been an annual cycle of remorse in your life, and you don’t want to repeat it, there is an antidote!
Lately the Lord has been stretching me to believe Him in the little and big things giving thanks in ALL things! I thank God for the Christmas tree and lights that He provided. I thank God for my husband, Son and new baby Michael. I thank God for unexpected strangers paying my groceries at Aldis! I thank God for friends and a Church family to connect to in this season. I thank Daddy God for the side baking business He gave me a vision of to start back up this Holiday season called “Heavenly Delights.”
On a side note if anyone is interested in ordering some Christmas gift baskets with gourmet brownies and cookies let me know! They help with the Holiday blues too!
Last year at this time the Lord was speaking,
Hebrews 11 New International Version (NIV)
Faith in Action
“11 Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. 2 This is what the ancients were commended for.“
He was saying, “Don’t put your hope in people, places and things all though they are good and we need things and each other, but put your faith first in me!!”
Alot of times people, places, and things can be idols in our lives. They take the place of our hearts even before God.
We look on facebook or recieve that Christmas card of a reality of perfection that is just not real all the time. The truth is no one really can see the inward struggles, battles and thoughts that EVERY ONE goes through before that picture of victory. Just like giving birth it all looks glamorous but that is just not true. There was a price to pay behind that victory! To be a parent is not always easy because we have to die to ourselves. There is a price to carry that precious child to birth. But today Daddy God is saying,
Matthew 11:30 King James Version (KJV)
“30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.“
Once we surender our flesh and it goes through labor after birth there is a ease and lightness- literally 10 lbs lost instantly as that baby comes out!
It is easy to play the comparison game during this season and go into looking at ourself. We get our eyes off of Jesus and put it on a false reality. We say well one day when all my kids are saved I will be happy and rejoice! One day when I get married or one day when I am noticed and established in ministry I will be happy.
Friend, Daddy God notices you right now. He wants to bring you to Galatians 2:20- where you surrender every area to Him and take His life instead. This is a process of daily surrender so know that in this He sees you, knows you and loves you right where you are at. He is looking at your heart. He is looking at your “yes”. This revelation of the Father’s love needs to go so deep! We will be changed if we do not give up!
We are all called to be full time ministers if we are Christians. A full time minister is a vessel for God wether you are a stay home parent, teacher, grandparent, evangelist, prophet, pastor, you have a platform of thousands or a conversation of one does not change your first calling to be a vessel- for the Son of God who calls you His sons and daughters!
Colossians 1:27 New International Version (NIV)
“27 To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.”
If you have Christ in you, you are rich! You have the provider, provision, maker of everything living inside of you.
Being whole and in love with God is not a feeling but a choice. It begins with our will submitting to His will and what He says. When the enemy comes with his familar lies and feelings to get you down, you can take those thoughts, feelings- LIES captive and say “NO”! I am a child of God. He has made me unique!
2 Corinthians 10:5 New International Version (NIV)
“5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.“
The enemy tries to whisper “You just are so poor, you have no money. What good are you?” It is true in our own flesh dwells no good thing (Romans 7:18) and in our own strength we are not good. But there is one that is perfect and He is perfect love that died upon a cross that we may have life and life abunduntly! John 10:10.
We can make the choice to put on the breastplate of righteousness! The shield of faith! The sword of the spirit! He has given us everything to defeat the enemy in our lives because Christ has already defeated Him on the cross!!
The Armor of God
“10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.“
So this holiday season if you have the Holiday blues, a hopelessness you just can’t shake I urge you even now to look to Him and cry out. Ask Holy Spirit to take over and make that little choice to surrender your ALL to Him once more. Surrender every thought, behavior pattern that is contray to His word and life. He will meet you where you are at. If you have drifted away from the lover of your soul I urge you to come back to the blood and cross of calvary who gave His ALL for you. Confess doing things your own way as pride, sin and repent, turn from that sin. Say it for what it is.
He is enough! He will help you let go of self and teach you how to take care of yourself by completely surrendering EVERYTHING to HIM! He is perfect love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. … (Galatians 5) this season.