Earlier in life, God called me to rest before I even knew what the word meant. What I learned in my searching was that rest requires trust in God. And, in order to rest and truly trust God, it meant I would have to surrender control to Him. These 5 scriptures helped me learn to trust God enough to rest.
We cannot give what we do not have. Even though I had accepted Christ as my savior as a child, I had never fully accepted the Father’s love for me. Until I did, I was not free to love myself or anyone else. When love breaks through and we accept the Father’s love, we’re free to love ourselves as He intended. Do you know the Father’s love for you?
Are you feeling depressed? Alone? Like nobody cares or understands? You’re not alone. I have a confession to make…I have wrestled with the torrent of depression. In my darkest days, I felt alone, helpless, and hopeless. Fortunately, now, I am on the other side. But, when I look back on the dark night of my soul, there are things that I wish people had said to me back then to offer me hope.
Have you ever created a wish list for Christmas as a grown-up? This year, what I wanted more than anything for Christmas was peace for my family and peace for my heart. As I read over Philippians 4:6-7, God’s command to tell Him what we need really jumped out at me. What I wanted most was something only He could provide. Asking God for what I need became the impetus for My Grown-Up Christmas Wish List. It’s not just for Christmas, but for the whole upcoming year.
How do you handle the depression that results from feelings of inadequacy during the Christmas holidays? Perhaps financial stressors or other unfortunate circumstances have you feeling down and challenged in giving. Read more for other ways you can say goodbye to the tyranny of commercialism and still show love through giving.
