The holiday season is upon us. The next few weeks will be filled with decorating, baking, shopping, gatherings, and….…family.
Some of you just had a flood of anxiety at the sheer mention of the word family. I get it.
Family relationships can be difficult to navigate and can cause some serious stress, particularly this time of year. Unfortunately, family hurt is a real problem for a lot of us.
If you find yourself dealing with family hurt and dreading those family gatherings this season, I’m sorry. I know how tough that is from personal experience.
Or if you have had to draw some boundaries with family and therefore, won’t be attending those gatherings this year, I understand the pain that comes along with that as well.
I want you to know that Jesus sees you in your pain, and so do I.
In Romans 12:18, Paul says, “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with
everyone.”.
God’s desire is that we would live at peace with everyone, family included. But in
some situations, there is only so much we can do.
Sometimes it is not possible, and it doesn’t depend on us. And sometimes the only way to live at peace is at a distance.
So what do we do if we find ourselves in one of these less-than-desirable positions with our families this holiday season?
The Bible says…
If you are brokenhearted this holiday season, know that the Lord is close. He is drawing near to us in our suffering. Let’s draw near to Him too.
Whether you are dealing with family pressure, grudges, disappointment, feeling caught in the
middle and trying to keep the peace between other family members, or with the grief of not
being a part of those family gatherings, Jesus is there.
In the midst of it all, He is with you, He is still good, and He is enough.
Lean into Him. Let the God of all comfort, wrap you in His arms and fill you with His love and peace during this season.
God, I pray right now for everyone who is dealing with painful family issues this holiday season.
Help us to see our families through your eyes, and to show them the love and grace that you
show us. Help us to draw near to you and remember that you are enough. Thank you, Jesus, for your nearness, your goodness, and your unmeasurable kindness to us.
If you haven’t given your life to God, or maybe you have felt a stirring but haven’t acted, God is always there for you. He waits at the door to your heart. Open it. Loosen the fear. Life won’t be without hardship, and doubts will come, but God is bigger and SO much better. We pray with you today that God draws you near and helps you see all that He has created you to be. We would love to hear from you below in the comments, on our Facebook page, or at churchthatmatters.com/connect .
