Psalms

January Joy!

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If you are not experiencing “January Joy” right now, that may be for a few reasons. One may simply be that the holiday fun and family get-togethers are over. Either you miss your family or you are frustrated because things didn’t turn out the way you had hoped. The emotional and sentimental church activities like Christmas Eve Service have come and gone and it’s easy to feel an emotional slump. For some pastors, December is extremely busy so the slower days of January feel like a letdown.

Maybe January brought New Years Resolutions, and you have already failed at keeping them. The second Friday of January is widely known as “Quitters Day,” and some mark January 17 as “Ditch New Year’s Resolutions Day.” The optimism of new goals and plans can take quite the hit when the pessimism of unfulfilled goals and failed habits becomes reality.

Some talk about January blahs and others talk about winter blues. One psychologist, Dr. Cliff Arnall, determined that the third Monday in January is the most depressing day of the year, labelling it “Blue Monday” (https://westernfinancialgroup.ca/How-to-Beat-the-January-Blahs). This is made more severe if the sun forgets to shine and the weather is cold and its hard to spend much time outdoors. Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) affects some people severely, along with serious episodes of depression. And on top of the emotional and mental difficulty, there can be financial difficulty as the credit card bills start arriving for all the fun gifts you bought and parties you funded.

January Joy is not something people celebrate because for many people that is far from reality. I want to suggest some ways to beat the January blahs that go beyond the regular suggestions of exercise, eating right, and getting enough sleep.

First, turn to God and to His Word. Consider the psalms, like Psalm 100. Read them slowly and allow them to remind you of how great God is and how much He loves you and cares for you.

Psalm 100

1 Shout with joy to the Lord, all the earth!

2     Worship the Lord with gladness.

    Come before him, singing with joy.

3 Acknowledge that the Lord is God!

    He made us, and we are his.

    We are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving;

    go into his courts with praise.

    Give thanks to him and praise his name.

5 For the Lord is good.

    His unfailing love continues forever,

    and his faithfulness continues to each generation.

Second, listen to music. Find some good music that celebrates our good God. Listen, sing along, and begin to rejoice in our great God and His goodness to us.

Third, start giving thanks. Start listing all you are grateful for. Thank God for people in your life. Thank God for the joys you have experienced. Thank God for His protection and provision in your life. Celebrate God and his love for you.

And soon you will be full of January Joy and have no room for January blahs or winter blues. You can’t complain and remain discouraged when you are singing praises and shouting out all that you are thankful for. Have a great January!

Keep looking up,

Andy Wiebe

Antidotes to Stress

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More than three-quarters of adults report symptoms of stress, including headache, tiredness, or sleeping problems.

American Psychological Association, 2019

Everyone knows what stress is, and many people experience it often. We feel we are facing more than we can handle. The expectations on us are too much, or we are in uncomfortable situations without a way to gain control or get out of it. It affects our mind, our emotions, and our bodies. Some of our medical issues are even caused by stress.  And just because you attend church does not mean you immune to stress. Many of us even experience stress as we serve in the church.

At a recent visit to the doctor I saw this poster on the wall: Stress Coping Skills for Everyday Life.

There are a number of great ideas to put into practice when we are experiencing stress. Some of them are physical exercises such as “go outside” or “stretch”. Others are mental exercises such as “be positive”. There are social exercises and suggestions for eating better and drinking enough water.

These might all be good ideas. They cover most aspects of a person’s life – social, physical, emotional, and mental. But I couldn’t help noticing that there was something missing. Where is the spiritual aspect?

As people who know God, we should recognize the value of going to God in our times of stress. In fact, if we have put our faith in Christ for salvation, then we have also received His Spirit that lives within us. He is God within us. He wants us to have life and have it to the full. (John 10:10)

Like the psalmist David, we can cry out to God in our times of need.

When my spirit grows faint within me,
    it is you who watch over my way. (Psalm 142: 3)

 Lord, you are the God who saves me;
    day and night I cry out to you.
May my prayer come before you;
    turn your ear to my cry.

 I am overwhelmed with troubles
    and my life draws near to death. (Psalm 88: 1-3)

Yes, there are many different things we can do to try to alleviate the feelings of stress, but why not call on God to help?

Call out to God for help. Pray. Spend time reading scripture. Allow God to speak. Meditate on passages of scripture or dwell on God’s attributes. Spend time in worship. Sing songs of praise. Listen to songs of praise. Ask God to calm your spirit and empower you by His Spirit to tackle the day with confidence.

When stressed, do what you can to trust God to walk you through it.

Keep looking up,

Andy Wiebe