Walking through a hard season of heartbreak or hurt? In my latest devotional video, I share four tips from my heart that will help you navigate the holidays with peace and joy.
I love the holidays—the traditions, the family gatherings, making cherished memories. But what happens when we are walking through heartache, grief, or a difficult season that feels like it’s ruining our holidays? It can feel especially heavy when everyone else seems full of cheer.
In this video, I share four practical keys that have helped me personally to navigate tough seasons and hold on to peace and joy (yes, even at Christmas time).
Yes, it is possible with God! (Matthew 19:26)
4 Keys to Help a Hurting Heart During the Holidays
1. Acknowledge Your Pain to the Lord
It is okay to vent and cry out to God! Reading the Psalms is the perfect place to start; King David vented to the Lord frequently! And it’s imperative we remember who God is when our hearts are hurting: 2 Corinthians 1:4 says, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort.” Almighty God comforts our hearts!
2. Don’t Camp There
Once we acknowledge the hurt, we must choose to lift those heavy burdens to the Lord, completely entrusting them all to HIM, then we we shift our focus. We cannot allow ourselves to camp on and focus on the situation or circumstance causing heartache.
Philippians 4:8 shows us how to transform our 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.”
3. Sing a Worship Song
During the holidays heartache can feel overwhelming, but a theologically rich hymn or worship song can be a powerful tool to fill our hearts with truth, peace, and joy. When your heart starts to hurt, lift it to God and start to sing instead of wallowing. I do this, and oh it helps! (See one of my favorite worship songs below.)
LINK to a Worship Song I love: “How Great is the Greatness of God”, Matt Boswell
4. Write Out a Go-To Verse
Do you have a go-to verse? Memorize a scripture and turn it into a simple, honest, and powerful prayer and reminder for your heart. By doing this, we’re countering the hurt with the Truth! We’re immersing our hearts in the reassuring truth of God’s Word, and that changes everything. It fills us with peace and helps us focus on Him instead of our pain.
Here’s my go-to verse:
Psalm 28:7: “The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. Therefore, my heart celebrates, and I give thanks to him with my song.”
I pray that this message encourages you, strengthens you, and gives you solid tools to hold onto the hope, peace, and joy of Christ this holiday season.
Remember: with God, all things are possible. (Matthew 19:26) Through God’s grace and using these four tools, you can navigate the holidays with peace and joy!
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