Managing through the pain of Christmas...
"Peace on earth and good will to men!"
Joy and Peace to all men this Christmas! It truly is a time of Joy; however, for some people, it can be reminder of a loss... a failed expectation. How do we manage through that pain (or come alongside others who feel it)?
First, we need to acknowledge the pain. Pain is a gift from God. It is like the indicator light on a dashboard saying: "Some thing's wrong!" Pain is a gift from God that says: "Take action!" The analogy is clearly understood with physical pain. For example: "Remove you hand from the fire." or "Go easy on the sprained ankle." But what about emotional pain?
The Enemy always tries to distort God's gifts. The distorted message comes through in the lies we start accepting: "It's too painful to endure.", "It's never going to get better.", etc. But the truth is that all pain is temporary, even though the Enemy uses it to discourage us... to dissuade us from the action the Lord would have us take.
So the question is: "Lord, what action would You have me take?" Do I need to adjust my expectations? Do I need to take captive my thought patterns (i.e. - "assault the strongholds")? Do I need to redirect my life and demonstrate love to others? Do I need to pray in intercession fervently? Do I need to just draw close in adoration of my Redeemer?
When we truly understand -- that all suffering is temporary... that the pain is only part of the story... that it is a call to action -- that God uses our discomfort to wage war against the Enemy, the Kingdom is advanced in our lives and in the lives of others! Then, like the early church, we can rejoice in our suffering.
Whether we're asking Him the tough questions or rejoicing in all that He is doing, Christmas remains a time for drawing close to God and enjoying the stillness of His Presence.
Peace and Joy to you and all in your sphere of influence!
Joy and Peace to all men this Christmas! It truly is a time of Joy; however, for some people, it can be reminder of a loss... a failed expectation. How do we manage through that pain (or come alongside others who feel it)?
First, we need to acknowledge the pain. Pain is a gift from God. It is like the indicator light on a dashboard saying: "Some thing's wrong!" Pain is a gift from God that says: "Take action!" The analogy is clearly understood with physical pain. For example: "Remove you hand from the fire." or "Go easy on the sprained ankle." But what about emotional pain?
The Enemy always tries to distort God's gifts. The distorted message comes through in the lies we start accepting: "It's too painful to endure.", "It's never going to get better.", etc. But the truth is that all pain is temporary, even though the Enemy uses it to discourage us... to dissuade us from the action the Lord would have us take.
So the question is: "Lord, what action would You have me take?" Do I need to adjust my expectations? Do I need to take captive my thought patterns (i.e. - "assault the strongholds")? Do I need to redirect my life and demonstrate love to others? Do I need to pray in intercession fervently? Do I need to just draw close in adoration of my Redeemer?
When we truly understand -- that all suffering is temporary... that the pain is only part of the story... that it is a call to action -- that God uses our discomfort to wage war against the Enemy, the Kingdom is advanced in our lives and in the lives of others! Then, like the early church, we can rejoice in our suffering.
Whether we're asking Him the tough questions or rejoicing in all that He is doing, Christmas remains a time for drawing close to God and enjoying the stillness of His Presence.
Peace and Joy to you and all in your sphere of influence!
