Distress in Our Mess
by Donna Zangara (Next Gen Director)
Well, we made it through the holidays.
Maybe your Christmas and New Year's were not everything you had hoped and dreamed for. Returning back to school, work, and church the conversation opener is usually, "How was your Christmas?" I am amazed, disheartened and saddened by the countless situations that seem to explode during the "happy holiday" season. Family tension, relationship brokenness, stress beyond belief, financial strain, sickness. There are so many ways that the enemy seeks to take the "Christ" out of Christmas and the "happy" out of the holidays. We go into the Christmas season trying to create the snow globe picture-perfect setting. For many, we end up with a cracked and broken mess and find our souls in distress. Psalm 55:2 "I am overwhelmed by my troubles. My enemies shout at me. The real danger is wickedness is within the city. Everything is falling apart."
So Christians, the Christmas season has come and gone. BUT… nothing and no one can take Christ out of our life or our situation if we don't allow it. That baby Jesus came into this world to empower us to be overcomers. We are not meant to be overcome. Hallelujah! Jesus said, "The thief came to seek and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the FULL." (John 10:10) He is available to fill us (and/or our snow globe) up with everything we need. Maybe not everything we want… but with everything we will ever need.
Psalm 55:16 "But I will call God and He will rescue me. Morning, noon and night I cry out in my distress and the Lord hears my voice. He ransoms me and keeps me safe from the battle waged against me."
Here's to the New Year! Here's to unleashing the Power of the Gospel over every square inch of our lives as we relentlessly pursue being fully engaged in Jesus Christ so that "we may have life and have it to the full"!
Well, we made it through the holidays.
Maybe your Christmas and New Year's were not everything you had hoped and dreamed for. Returning back to school, work, and church the conversation opener is usually, "How was your Christmas?" I am amazed, disheartened and saddened by the countless situations that seem to explode during the "happy holiday" season. Family tension, relationship brokenness, stress beyond belief, financial strain, sickness. There are so many ways that the enemy seeks to take the "Christ" out of Christmas and the "happy" out of the holidays. We go into the Christmas season trying to create the snow globe picture-perfect setting. For many, we end up with a cracked and broken mess and find our souls in distress. Psalm 55:2 "I am overwhelmed by my troubles. My enemies shout at me. The real danger is wickedness is within the city. Everything is falling apart."
So Christians, the Christmas season has come and gone. BUT… nothing and no one can take Christ out of our life or our situation if we don't allow it. That baby Jesus came into this world to empower us to be overcomers. We are not meant to be overcome. Hallelujah! Jesus said, "The thief came to seek and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the FULL." (John 10:10) He is available to fill us (and/or our snow globe) up with everything we need. Maybe not everything we want… but with everything we will ever need.
Psalm 55:16 "But I will call God and He will rescue me. Morning, noon and night I cry out in my distress and the Lord hears my voice. He ransoms me and keeps me safe from the battle waged against me."
Here's to the New Year! Here's to unleashing the Power of the Gospel over every square inch of our lives as we relentlessly pursue being fully engaged in Jesus Christ so that "we may have life and have it to the full"!