|
1. You need to connect with
people. The worst thing you
can do is isolate yourself
from the very people God may
want to use to encourage and
restore you. Make plans.
Don’t sit around and wait to
be invited.
2. Set realistic goals.
Organize your time by making
lists and setting your
priorities in order. We
often worry the most about
the things that matter the
least.
3. Make a budget and follow
it. If you spend too much
now, you’ll add yet another
burden to the holiday
season. Don’t let the gloom
of debt cloud what should be
a joyous time of year. Focus
on God’s true blessings and
His trustworthy nature ...
Let your character be free
from the love of money,
being content with what you
have, for He Himself has
said “I will never desert
you, nor will I forsake
you.” ~Hebrews 13:5
4. Contact someone you’ve
lost touch with. This is a
perfect time to rekindle a
lost relationship. You may
find that God begins a new
chapter in your life.
5. Be honest with God about
your situation. If the Bible
is true, and I believe it
is, nobody cares more about
you than your Creator. He
doesn’t just discover your
pain when you notify Him in
prayer. But you may find out
about His great plan for
your life as you spend time
with Him ... be anxious for
nothing, but in everything
by prayer and supplication
with thanksgiving, let your
requests be known to God;
And the peace of God, which
surpasses all comprehension,
shall guard your hearts and
minds in Jesus Christ.
~Phil. 4:6
6. Get plenty of rest.
People tend to eat, drink
and party too much during
the holidays. None of those
activities are conducive to
a good night’s sleep. The
more worn out you get, the
more susceptible you are to
depression and
discouragement.
7. Let go of the past and
find new or different ways
to celebrate. While many
family traditions are good,
you may feel in bondage to
doing things you don’t enjoy
because “that’s the way
we’ve always done it.”
8. Don’t overindulge in
holiday foods. There is a
genuine, negative
physiological effect from
foods high in sugar and fat.
Additionally, you may
struggle with guilt from
overindulging. Moderation is
the key.
9. Don’t focus on what you
don’t have - focus on what
you do have. If you think
about it, it won’t take you
long to envision someone in
a worse situation than
yours. God has neither
abandoned nor forgotten you.
10. Get out of yourself and
into other people. Your best
insurance against an empty
holiday is pouring yourself
into someone else. You’ll
find that your burden eases
as you invest your life in
another.
–by Steve Arterburn
|
