If you find yourself in a slump this holiday season, remember this...
It’s that time of the year again. Exams, assignments and lectures are behind you, you are likely at home or away for the holidays and are just getting over the high of completing the school year and all its pressure. Perhaps your responsibilities have shifted from school assignments to chores, and you have been with your family long enough that you are ready to miss them again. Or perhaps your plan to simply catch up on all the TV you have missed has turned into a binge-fest, eating away at your energy and desire to do anything else. It has been a couple of days since you have allowed your heart to eat and drink from God’s word, prayer feels like a task and guilt is constantly tugging at your conscience. You can feel a spiritual slump coming on like a tidal wave. I remember this kind of experience all too well and still struggle with the holidays, especially at the end of the year. The answer to this is things that we already know but perhaps need reminding of.
Here is what you most likely already know, but probably need reminding of. The following is true of you if you are in Christ (that is if you are trusting in Jesus for the salvation of your soul).
Remember this about God:
He is always with you and continues to work in you, whether you are at varsity with your routine and structures in place, and (maybe) Christian community, or at home where all of that may be on hold for a while and routines change. God remains with you. He remains accessible, in you and with you. Psalm 139 assures us of this truth. Trust him to use even the holidays and whatever your circumstances are during that time to mature you and make you more like Jesus (Romans 8:28, Philippians 1:6). Do not forget his grace, abundant and sufficient for you each day and his love, steadfast and enduring, never to cease (Romans 8:31-39, Lamentations 3:22-23)
Remember this about yourself:
Your identity remains; a child of God in Christ Jesus - chosen, holy and dearly loved, called to be light in this dark world - amongst perhaps unbelieving family, friends and neighbours. We are taught this in Colossians 3:12 and Matthew 5:14-16. The holidays can be difficult in the sense that we may be away from the Christian community (if we are away at home or on holiday) and the structures that aid us in our daily journey as followers of Jesus. At home with unbelieving family and friends, and entertainment and free time (or less free time than we expected because of chores), we can lose sight of reality and our identity as sons and daughters.
Other stuff to remember:
Our enemies are still real and actively working against us at any given time. Namely, Satan and his demons, our flesh, and the world. The war will only end when we are in the presence of the Lord in heaven on the day but until then, we must fight on as the Lord empowers us, standing firm in his promises (1 Peter 5:8-9, Ephesians 6:10-18, Galatians 5:16-17, 1 John 2:15-17).
We may be away from the community we are plugged into but we are still part of God’s family. We ought to remember this and make the effort to find a church where you are or using technology to keep in touch with other brothers and sisters (Hebrews 10:24-25).
How does it look like to hold on to these reminders during the holiday? Again, nothing new. But just because we are familiar, does not mean we have nailed it and no longer need encouragement (the whole point of this article!).
Time with God, in his word and talking to him through prayer. Set realistic expectations, aim for small bites instead of huge chunks, go slowly through a book, follow a reading plan, use the resources on this website. And if it does not happen the way you plan it, instead of letting guilt paralyze you, keep in mind that your identity as God’s child is still intact because it depends on Jesus, and not on the consistency of your quiet time. Keep going.
Keep in touch with other believers. Perhaps find a church near you or open a WhatsApp prayer group with one or two fellow believers where you’ll share prayer requests and what God is teaching you from his word. Be honest to them about where you are at. Any effort toward this is worth it.
Persevere. Keep at it, even when you do not feel like anything is happening. God is faithful and he will give you what you need. As you do, remember you are already loved and accepted, so you are not working towards that.
We sometimes underestimate how challenging the holidays can be, but the truth remains. If you are trusting in Jesus, you can rest assured that you have all you need to live a godly life, even through the holidays.
Helpful resources:
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