So, are you winterized?

Growing up like I did in the Midwest, I think that I have learned just a little bit about the meaning of cold and winter. You'd think that as long as I have lived around this stuff, I'd be used to it by now. Not so. Sometimes I think I can barely stand the cold. Maybe it's just because I'm getting older and my blood is getting thinner. All I know is that I seem to complain a whole lot about this cold stuff we have around here. Winter is not at all my favorite time of the year -- to say the least. When I was a little guy, my whole world was the Midwest and I actually thought it was quite normal to wear several layers of clothing and be bundled up so much that you couldn't move, dig out driveways of snow, scrape two inches of ice off your car, and do all the other things that go along with snow, ice, and winter.

This winter stuff we've been going through just got me to thinking about our spiritual lives. We all have "winters" too and we have to winterize for them in order to face them. When winter comes it can be a time of bleak and dark, dreary days. We must face the reality that winter can be hard and trials are hard. Just like the season of winter, our spiritual "winters" can leave us discouraged, lonely and depressed. There are some things that can make the cold of our winter very intense. We need to winterize and guard against them.

When we are going through difficult times, we sometimes tend to let our guard down and it's so easy for wrong influences to take over in our lives. It seeps through the cracks around the doors and windows, just like the winter air. It all can work overtime on us as we face the tough times in our lives. We've got to dig out the caulk and weather-stripping and block those cracks and holes. Using God's Word is the best way to do this. If we have it in our hearts, it can help stop the winter air of the world from seeping into our lives.

During the winter it is easy to develop a bad attitude. It doesn't take much at all for some of us. In comes the dreary days, the cold and chill, and drip . . . drip . . . we have formed those icicle attitudes. We become cranky and out of sorts with our family and anyone with whom we come into contact. We also tend to complain way more about anyone and anything. And we sometimes automatically go into icicle attitude mode. We don't have any fellowship with anyone to help encourage us, because who wants to be around us? We have to remember that no one else can fix our bad attitudes. Only we can do that, with God's help. It's not easy to adjust our attitude during a "winter" because the weight of the ice is bearing down on us. I've found that the simplest way to start working on adjusting a bad attitude is to take a step back and just remember who God is and who we are not.

Winter can bring so many things along with it -- a blizzard being one of the worst, as the effects it leaves is so devastating. Circumstances in our lives can also be devastating. Bills mount up. Family member get sick and some even die. Relationships get sour, and many other circumstances weigh down on us until we think we can't go on because we can't see what's down the road. I think that during these times we need to remember that God sees the outcome. He's our Potter and we are the clay.

Just like the dark and bleak days of winter have a depressing effect on us; we can have the winter of depression frost our lives. The problem is that when we are in the midst of "winter", it is so easy to just let it nip away at us. I think depression is one of the worst things of a "winter" because I've had my problem with it and it still seems like it is always looming and wanting to nip . . . nip away. There's no easy way out of depression, but keeping our lives in tune with God can help guard against it. Taking some time for God each day can go a long way in helping us deal with the "winter" of depression.

May I remind you as we start this New Year that we need Jesus Christ, the Great Winterizer, and His Word, to live within each of us. Relying on Him will keep us from a parched existence, even in winter. Drink in His love, His promises, His blessings, and His strength. We can't get through our daily lives, let alone our "winters" without following God's compass in our lives. We will all have "winters" in our lives, but choosing how we deal with and prepare for them can make all the difference in the world.

So, are you winterized? As a pastor, it's not strange at all that I suggest the warmth of fellowship in a local community of faith as an antidote (the Freon) to winter in your life. Please do make it a priority. Winter will seem so much easier. And you will keep warm in God's love, grace and forgiveness.