It is ironic that during “the most wonderful time of the year” so many of us struggle with depression. The season is so family/friend-oriented—a full month of family get-togethers, Christmas parties, etc.—that those of us with strained or broken relationships can feel those chasms more acutely. There should be joyous gatherings, but they easily represent occasions for frustration and pain.
The widespread focus on material things as we give one another gifts may only highlight what we don’t have or can’t afford. Instead of feeling blessed, we may feel deprived. Many then spend more than they can afford or go into debt. Others who don’t overspend may fall into melancholy because their “Christmas” won’t be what they wished it could be.
The church’s rightful emphasis on the Lord Jesus can even move some of us to feel distant from the Lord. This is supposed to be a season of joy in Him, yet if we’re honest, many of us struggle to experience that joy. If our recent spiritual walk has been a dry, uphill battle, that dryness can seem more stark given the appearance of spiritual gladness all around us.
A host of other stressors and trials can snatch away our typical enjoyment of the season. There may be some weighty pain or struggle that consumes our mental and emotional bandwidth so that we find it all but impossible to focus on the real meaning of Christmas.
I trust that a number of us can identify. So to what should we cling in the midst of these things?
First, we should return to the promises/truths of the Bible.
Psalm 34:18—The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.
Psalm 34:7—The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them.
Psalm 46:1—God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
2 Cor. 9:8—And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.
Isaiah 42:3—…a bruised reed he will not break, and a faintly burning wick he will not quench…
So much of the Christian life is controlling our thoughts. We are tempted often to think only of our trials and only in light of our own fallen commentary on them. We must take our thoughts captive and submit them to the truth of Scripture. What does the Word say about your situation? What does the Bible say about God related to your troubles? These are the things we must major on in our minds.
These things may be difficult to lay hold of because we think of God as distant. That is why the next step is so crucial.
Second, we must meditate on Jesus as the embodiment and deliverer of these promises. John 1:14—And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
John 1:18—No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father's side, he has made him known.
John 14:9—“Whoever has seen me has seen the Father.”
2 Cor 1:20—For all the promises of God find their Yes in him.
Phil 4:19—And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.
The baby in the manger embodies the promises of God. He is the fulfillment of the things promised to us in the OT. God is near to the brokenhearted in Christ. He saves the crushed in Spirit in Christ. He is the angel of the Lord who encamps around us—indeed, His Spirit dwells inside us—and He delivers us. Due to His abiding presence, Christ is our very present help in trouble. God makes all grace about to us in Christ.
And it is not only possible to have an actual relationship with Him, but that is the trajectory of His work. He is the deliverer of the very promises He represents. That is, His life, death, and resurrection reconcile us to God so that these promises—again, coming to us in His person—might be ours.
Immanuel—the name we use for Him so often this time of year—says it all. Matt 1:23—“Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel" (which means, God with us). If we want to get super literal with the original languages, we would say Immanuel is more accurately, “With us God.” The emphasis of that name is on God’s closeness to us in Christ. Jesus brings the promises of God to us in Himself.
Third, we must conceive of Christ as the salve for whatever particular wound we’re suffering, the answer to whatever issue we’re facing.
Downcast because of broken relationships? He is a friend who sticks closer than a brother (Prov 18:24). He is the brother who died that we might call God “Father” (Rom 8:29; Gal 4:4-5).
Struggling in some kind of material need? He is Himself unsearchable riches and the provider of every good thing (Col 3:8; Phil 4:19).
Dealing with a terrible dryness in your spiritual walk? He is Himself a fountain of living water (John 7:37-38). Those who drink this water will never thirst again (John 4:16, 6:35). Search the Scriptures in your need—you’ll find that He is intended to be your all in all (Eph 1:23).
Fourth, we must abide in Christ. Many make the mistake of thinking that just knowing enough Scripture will lead of itself to fruitfulness. This was the mistake of the Pharisees to whom Jesus said, “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me” (John 5:39). Fruitfulness, love, joy, and peace do not come from merely knowing the above truths or from merely thinking rightly about our circumstances. Rather, these truths must drive us to engage in intentional fellowship with the Lord Jesus Himself.
This means regarding Him to be a lush vine that we must cling to as dependent branches (John 15:1-5). Life and vitality flow to us through the gracious conduit of fellowship with Him. We must listen to Him speak in the Word. We must pour our hearts out to Him in prayer. We must make Him the center of our relationships in the church. We must do these things as faithfully and regularly as we eat, drink, and sleep, knowing that fellowship with Him is as crucial to our spiritual vitality as food and rest are to our bodies.
Those who make a lifestyle of fellowship with this newborn-King-turned-risen-Savior are able to celebrate Him with great joy, not just during the Christmas season, but all the time. They hold fast to the promises of God, see Christ as the great embodiment and deliverer of those promises, cling to Him as exactly what they need in every circumstance, and embrace their utter dependence upon Him by constantly abiding in Him. As we see depictions of a baby surrounded by shepherds this month, let us not turn quickly away out of over-familiarity with such images, but pause and consider that this is our great friend, savior, and brother who calls us even now to abide in Him.
Comments