Sitting in my reading chair early on this cold December morning, sipping coffee and keeping cozy under my fuzzy electric throw, my mind wanders through all the plans and to-do lists of this beautiful Christmas season. We’re nearly done with our gift shopping, and the next grocery run will include supplies for family brunches with all the kids at home, movie nights by the fire, our traditional blueberry muffins and sausage cheese balls (my Grandma’s spicy recipe) for Christmas morning, and a lovely Texas sheet cake for Christmas Day that I’ve been dying to make again.
Oh, and more egg nog, if we can find it.
Cozy is my love language, which is why I love winter so much. I love that the air smells like snow even though we haven’t seen a flake of it yet, not at my house anyway. I love making all the preparations for family times together, and although there is still much to do on the horizon, I’ve made it my goal to move slowly in this season and focus on the beauty around me… in my home, my children, and all the people that I love and who love me. In thinking on these things, I allow my heart to commune with God in gratitude instead of stressing over time, money, and wrapping paper…
…like I’ve done so many times before.
Anxiety weighs down the heart, but a kind word cheers it up.
Proverbs 12:25
I had the privilege of praying with a beautiful young woman from my church two Sundays in a row. Both times she was visibly shaking with anxiety when our prayers began. Without going into detail, anxiety was part of her prayer request, so we prayed for her to be able to walk in all the confidence the Lord has given her without the weight of worry.
In our conversations after both prayer times, when this young woman began to share about the Lord and verses from the Bible that were important to her, her shaking stopped. As she recounted the different experiences she’s had with God throughout her life, hints of boldness began to rise up and her voice became stronger.
It was in those moments, both times that we spoke, that the separation between her humanity and her spirit became evident. When it had a chance to rise up, her spirit was strong, confident, and bold, although her flesh was weak and often afraid. When I pointed it out to her, she said, “I feel safe when I’m speaking about the Lord. I feel different.”
Yes! The truth of the matter is that she is different when she is in His presence, when He is calming her fears and giving her His peace. It’s in those moments that her true self is able to surface… a bolder and more confident version of who she already is today.
She may still be introverted, and she definitely won’t ever be perfect (because no one ever is), but in His freedom she becomes whole like she never was before, and she can feel the difference.
I love those moments when we can witness the separation of flesh and spirit. The Bible says that the “spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Matt 26:41). A common belief is in the trichotomy of man, supported by scriptures such as 1 Thessalonians 5:23 and Hebrews 4:12, which says we ARE a spirit, we HAVE a soul [mind, will, and emotions], and we LIVE IN a body. This means that the person I am as a believer in Christ is my “spirit” within me, and the “soul” and “body” parts of me are mine to discipline and direct.
This goes well with the quote you may have heard that says, “You don’t have to believe everything you think.” We can choose NOT to believe the negative, condemning, self-loathing thoughts that drop into our minds without notice.
And like the Bible says in Philippians 4:8, we can choose to think about “whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”
This is possible because I am my spirit within me, and through Christ, I have authority over my thoughts, whether I will believe them or not, and how I will respond to them, in Jesus’ name.
The Bible says, in 2 Timothy 1:7, that “God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.” The sweet woman I prayed for is learning that the more time she spends with the Lord, the more she becomes the bold and confident person He created her to be.
We do this by sticking as close to the Lord as possible, even when our to-do list is long and time is short, and He takes it from there. It may seem simple, and that’s because it is. We read, we worship, and we pray. We do this because we believe, and that’s pretty much the entire recipe.
- Reading the Bible. Even if it’s just one verse a day. Write it down, but more than that, choose to believe it above every other voice. This brings the light of God’s truth into our lives, and when issues pop up, as they often do, He brings His Word back to mind at just the right times (John 14:26).
- Listening to worship music. Whenever my heart is heavy or my mind is filled with anxiety, I put on worship music and sing the words out loud. I find it difficult to think about my worries and fears when I have worship lyrics and praise to God coming out of my mouth. I also find that worship changes the atmosphere in my home, my car, my office, and even in my mind and spirit. And often, the next song that comes on is exactly what I needed to hear! God is good like that…
- Praying the whole prayer. We can speak with God like we would our best friend. Sometimes it’s uncomfortable, but He already knows the whole story and He wants to hear our voice. If it’s difficult to pray aloud, journal until your hand can’t write anymore, but get the whole prayer on paper before the Lord in faith, believing that He sees you. Keep the door of communication open between you and God. Your spirit will soar when you are waiting on the Lord in prayer.
Just as my friend is finding out, the more we spend time with the Lord, the more we become like Him. In this holiday season, as we are bouncing from store to store, recipe to recipe, and gathering to gathering… I pray we will take time every day and all throughout each day to turn our minds to Christ. Stop for a moment and thank Him for all He has done. Pause all the noise and put on music that glorifies the Father. Cast all your cares on Him in prayer because He loves you and wants to take care of You right now, in this moment.
Above all things, I pray we open the door to Christ in the midst of this Christmas season. I pray we lay our lives on the line for Him by thinking and praying and speaking what is right and kind and excellent to all those we hold dear… and to all those who may simply come near. He is worth the effort, and you are a blessing just waiting to happen!
Merry Christmas!
Broken & Sown 