Good morning,
The holiday season is upon us. Thanksgiving and Black Friday are done. Now comes the push to Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanza. There will be stress coming from gifts to buy, food to prepare, parties to attend, decorations to display, and maybe some time for our families.
If we are not prepared to deal with the stress Biblically, we will have a miserable holiday season.
God has given us a battle plan not only to survive but to thrive. This week we will look at who is our enemy, our need for a spiritual mindset, spiritual conversation, spiritual fruit, spiritual conduct, spiritual trust, and spiritual cleansing.
SPIRITUAL TRUST (PROVERBS 3:5-6)
Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
(Trust in God, His plan, and His way. He promises to direct our paths.)
SPIRITUAL CLEANSING (1 JOHN 1:9)
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
(We will fail. We must repent of our sins and allow God to cleanse us.)
Applying these truths will give us contentment, joy, and peace.
How do we know what gifts to give, food to prepare, decorations to display, parties to go to, or time to spend with family? God says trust Me. Allow God to tell you. It says we are not to lean on our own understanding. He says He will direct our paths. That is practical and takes the stress off us.
Unfortunately, even the most spiritual of us will not completely follow through with God’s battle plan for the holidays. So when we fail, and we will, we need to be spiritually cleansed. Repent of our sin and move on. If we believe 1 John 1:9, God “…is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Only God could do that for us!
Enjoy the holidays!
Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001
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