Tag: <span>Christmas devotional</span>

When Life is Not a Christmas Card
Published December 21, 2019

When Life is Not a Christmas Card

In our homes with lights aglow, stockings hung with care and cookies baking in the oven, our lives can look like a Christmas card. But sometimes it looks like something else. It can look harsher, colder, and even very lonely. Sometimes, Christmas can be hard. It doesn’t look like a Christmas card, or a happily ending Christmas movie.

What do we do when life is hard and we don’t know what to do?

Hold tight to our faith and keep our trust in God.

Sometimes, there are those things we can never fix and things that we can never change. Sometimes, there are circumstances and trials we’ll never understand, those things we’ll never know the reason why. Sometimes, we face situations that will test our faith and test our trust in God.

Faith is trusting that God is there
And knowing He is always in control.
Faith is staying close to Him
No matter what comes your way,
And believing He will meet your every need.

Faith is knowing that He loves you
And will never leave you or forsake you.
Faith is believing that in all things
He has a purpose and a plan.

Faith is knowing
You don’t have to understand it all
To keep your trust in Him.

Isaiah 41:10
“So do not fear, for I am with you; Do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.“

By Kathy Cheek
Used by Permission

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thoughts by Kathy Cheek Thoughts by Women

Loving Through Conflict
Published December 14, 2018

Loving Through Conflict

“And my God will meet all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19

Christmas events can sometimes give rise to relational conflict that mars the peace of the season. Conflict often reflects unmet needs.

No one likes to be thought of as needy. It’s easier to think of others as needy; but can you identify where you might be needy? Recall the last conflict you encountered. Could there be a need that remains unmet in your heart? Sometimes the unmet need is easy to remedy, such as the need for sleep.

Often it is deeper. The need to feel loved, valued and heard, or the need to be accepted or respected, can cause resistance from a wounded heart. Control and manipulation can stem from an angry heart, or a need to forgive others or one’s self.

When you see potential conflict ahead, stop and look honestly at yourself. G-R-O-W in love through conflict.

Give God the opportunity to reveal any unmet need that may be at the root of this conflict. Be open to seeing your need and to praying for the needs of another. It will help dissolve tension.

Recognize that God is the only one who can meet all your needs.

Open your heart to God for His help. Let Him be the source for any unmet need in your life. Consider asking someone to pray for you in this.

Walk beside another in their unmet needs asking God to be their source in meeting the needs of their soul.

Invite Jesus into your tensions this Christmas and let His loving peace overrule.

Father God, please bring your peace into my Christmas celebrations. Where relationships are frayed help me see my part stemming from any unmet needs I have. May I look to you to be the source for all my needs. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.

By Gail Rodgers
Used by Permission

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Thoughts by All thoughts by Gail Rodgers Thoughts by Women