It is a real issue. Cloudy days, over-scheduling, travel, less than healthy food, inactivity, and a dash of grief or personal troubles can give Christians momentary moments of sadness or spiraling depression. I am in the habit of taking a “tip list” from a secular mental-health professional and juicing up their human prescriptions with a scurvy-defying dose of “Vitamin C!”
This year, I am using an article from the Today show entitled, 1Feeling the holiday blues? Here 6 ways to fend them off by Keri Glassman. I took the liberty of shortening her list to five. Praise God from whom all blessing flow!
- Create A Healthy Happy-hour Ritual
No. Not “that” kind of happy hour (alcohol is a depressant). “You can take an hour out of your day just to do something that makes you happy. It doesn’t have to be anything that requires money, or even much time.” As a preacher, I feel a need to bring overlooked passages into my teaching. That takes work. Read the “easy verses”: Psalm 23; Matthew 6:25-34; John 3:16; Philippians 4:4-7.
- Get Down to Earth-ing
“Get your feet on the ground to reduce stress…this activity is exactly what it sounds like, getting connected to the earth.” Well, this is by far the most hippy-influenced list I have ever used. But it has one clod of truth to it. Get outside and walk around. Yes, I know it is cold. Wear the right clothes, get outside, and take advantage of any and all sunny days! Psalm 19:1; Romans 1:19-20
- Give Gratitude A Go
“The benefits of having a gratitude practice are touted a lot, and with good reason. Numerous studies have shown a link between expressing gratitude consistently and feeling happier.” The Lord’s Supper and our periods of contribution are ways to be grateful for the most wonderful gift of all. the sinless blood of Jesus. When I feel the love the Father made through the Son, it should fill me with the Spirit and then pour out in thankfulness and song. John 7:37-39; Romans 8:31-39; Ephesians 5:18-20
- Get More Oxygen
“When someone tells you to take a deep breath, they’re saying something important — extra oxygen can help reduce cortisol levels.” Never forget, prayer is the original breathing exercise. Give yourself time to get lost in prayer. Remove distractions, take deep breaths and then take in more. The inverse is true for exhale. This kind of meditation gets you in the right frame of mind to pray. BTW, meditation is not a dirty word. Psalm 119:97; Mark 1:35; Ephesians 3:14-21
- Up Your Vitamin “C”
It won’t kill us to work in a vegetable or fruit occasionally. The holidays are filled with calories. Cookies, ham, cheese, sausage, and comfort foods galore can overcome any one’s diet. Remember Hananiah, Mishael, Azariah, and Belteshazzar. Daniel 1:7-20. But a balanced diet pales in comparison to getting more Vitamin “C” of Jesus the Christ into our lives. Yes, “Put Christ in Christmas.” The holidays can turn into an exhausting treadmill of spending, traveling, eating, and sometimes being overcome by grief or anxiety (FOMO is real y’all!). Stop the world and get off. Our worships periods and Bible classes are times to forget the outside world and focus on the Christ, crucified, resurrected, ascended and coming back to take me home. Talk to God, through Jesus, by the Spirit, remember to rest. Get outside. Take time to breathe in prayer.
We started this article with the idea of scheduling an hour to do something that makes us happy. The apostle Paul has similar thoughts. “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”-Philippians 4:8-9.
Thank you Lord for saving my soul.
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