Why is it that this time of year is so very hard when it is supposed to be the most joyous of all seasons?
Everywhere you go bells are ringing, people are singing. Children are laughing waiting with breathless anticipation, while counting the days off until Santa comes like clockwork!
You would think the mood in itself would be enough to lift even the most dedicated depressed person around.
Yet, deep within the heart of man lies a restless drive to unknowingly embrace the melancholy lethargy or the gloom and doom that steals joy from your heart like the Grinch stole Christmas.
Naturally doctors & Psychologist have a plethora of ideas why this is with an even bigger arsenal of drugs to combat it.
It gets blamed on weather patterns, short seasons and all things Mother Nature.
I really don’t think Doctors or even drugs are the answer to what lies within our heart like a malicious virus waiting to completely destroy the perfection of the cells within us. Neither do I think Mother Nature is the cause, not that she’s even real.
No, I think the problem is probably way simpler than that.
The haze and daze of our mind and the restlessness of our heart has a root cause and therefore has a simple cure.
Forget all about the shopping, the dazzling Christmas lights, all of the perfectly or un-perfectly wrapped presents under the tree.
Forget about those credit cards nightmares coming your way January 1st.
Forget about holiday meals with family and friends.
Forget about the endless litany of programs and parties that stretch out before you in endless parades.
Forget all about the sporting events on TV and the Macy’s Day parade.
Forget all of that and focus on just one simple thing.
Think about the Truth of Christmas which is really very astoundingly simple, if you just grab ahold of this one Truth.
Think about the Christ in Christmas.
You are probably thinking yea, yea, yea I’ve heard all of that before, yada, yada, yada. Okay so maybe you have but have you actually done it!
See it is really simple as to why we get depressed this holiday season, our focus is basically on one thing only…
Ourselves…
This is why we can’t get past the mood swings and we resort to a pill with a bill or a thrill in a bottle. We are so enamored with our own lives that we don’t actually take the time to think about and meditate on the Christ in Christmas.
This is actually kind of odd being it is His holiday!
You say well I read the Christmas story and attend candlelight services or mass, I sing in the Cantata or whatever your church does.
I say so?
Do you win a prize for acting Holy? I don’t think so!
The real root of all our problems holidays or not is that we are self-centered and focused on us. I need, I want; I can’t handle this or that… Jesus help us?
Hmmm! Jesus is our go to guy when all else fails around. The ultimate Ty Pennington and extreme makeover host. We expect Him to swoop in with all His Glory swish us off on vacation and with a twinkle in His eye and a design team to die for, poof everything’s okay again. A new house, new job, new car, new wife, new husband, whatever it is, is not going to fix the issue in your heart.
Jesus is not going to ride in on a chariot of fire and fix everything going wrong in your life. This is the reason we get depressed. This is the cause of our unhappiness if we are totally honest. Jesus did not dance when we piped our sad, woe is me song.
The good news is that this can be changed, right now in one blink of your eye.
Turn your eyes on Jesus Psalms 24:5-6
This is the only answer you need. This is the only extreme makeover necessary.
Jesus is the entire reason for the season.
When you get a glimpse of the beautiful countenance of God you will never be the same. Everything and I mean everything is petty and small when you get a glimpse of His face.
So in the light of the holiday season I want to wish you a very Merry Christmas! Won’t you join me in gazing up in His face?
Like the song says; Fall on your knees, hear the angles voices! On that blessed night the greatest gift came to the world and most of the world slept in obscurity. Fast forward to now and many in the world still sleep in obscurity!
Don’t make the same mistake because He came like a baby the first time but next time He is coming as the King!!!!
I’m hid with Christ!
Shawn
Searching Gods Heart 