Are You
Winterized?
"...in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. I know both
how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where
and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry,
both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things
through Christ which strengtheneth me." Philippians 4:11-13
Living in New Jersey for 6 years now, I learned the meaning of cold
and winter. Of course I didn't truly understand it until I started
living here. I can barely stand the cold. I actually thought it was
normal to wear several layers of clothing and be bundled up so much you
couldn't move, dig out driveways of snow, scrape ice off your car, and
do all the other things that go along with snow, ice, and winter.
Brrrr....
In our spiritual lives, we all have "winters" too and we have to
winterize for them in order to face them. When winter comes it is a
time of bleak and dark dreary days. We must face the fact that winter
can be hard and trials are hard. Just like the season of winter, our
spiritual "winters" can leave us discouraged, lonely, and depressed.
There are some things that can make the cold of our winter very
intense. We need to winterize and guard against them. I always tell my
husband it is old-fashioned to use points to summarize your thoughts,
but now I believe that this is the best way to make it simple and easy
to the readers.
1. The Cold Air -
Trials
When we are going through trials and hardships, we sometimes tend to
let our guard down and it's so easy for worldly influences to take over
in our lives. It seeps through the cracks around the doors and windows
just like the winter air. It may be the influence of worldly friends,
worldly music, worldly thinking. It all can work overtime on us as we
face trials in our lives. We've got to dig out the caulk and
weatherstripping and block those cracks and holes. Using God's Word is
the best way to do this. If we have it in our hearts, it can help stop
the winter air of the world from seeping into our lives.
"Thy word have I hid in mine heart,
that I might not sin against thee." Psalm 119:11
2. The Icicles -
Attitudes
During the winter it is easy to develop a bad attitude. It doesn't
take much at all for some of us. In comes the dreary days, the cold and
chill, and drip...drip...we have formed those icicle attitudes. We
become cranky and out of sorts with our family and anyone who we come
in contact with. We also tend to complain more about anyone and
anything.
When we are in the midst of a trial we sometimes automatically go
into icicle attitude mode. We don't have any fellowship with anyone to
help encourage us through our trial because who wants to be around us?
We have to remember that no one else can fix our bad attitudes. Only
we can do that. It's not easy either to adjust your attitude during a
"winter" because the weight of that ice is bearing down on us. I've
found that the simplest way to start working on adjusting a bad
attitude is to take a step back and just remember who God is and who we
are not.
"Be still, and know that I am God:" Psalm 46:10
3. The Blizzards -
Circumstances.
Winter can bring so many things along with it. Blizzards being one
of the worst as the effects it leaves is so devastating. Circumstances
in our lives can also be devastating. Bills mount up. Family members
get sick or even die. Relationships get sour, and many other
circumstances weigh down on us until we think we can't go on because we
can't see what's down the road. I think that during these times we need
to remember that God sees the outcome. He's our Potter and we are the
clay.
"But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me,
I shall come forth as gold." Job 23:10
4. The Jack Frost -
Depression
Better bundle up because if you are going trough a trial, then
depression is going to come nipping at your heels sooner or later. Just
like the dark and bleak days of winter have a depressing effect on us,
trials seem to frost our lives with depression. The problem is that
when we are in the midst of a "winter", it is so easy to just let it
nip away at us. I think depression is one of the worst things of a
"winter" because I've had my problem with it and it still seems like it
is always there looming and wanting to nip...nip away. There's no easy
way out of depression but keeping our lives in tune with God can help
guard against it. Regular personal devotions and a time with God each
day can go a long way in dealing with it.
"Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud:
and he shall hear my voice." Psalm 55:17
We will all have "winters" in our lives, but choosing how we deal
and prepare for them can make all the difference in the world.
So,
are you winterized?
In His Love
