Winter Is Not Forever by Bob Jones

Some words sound like they mean. Take the word “languish” – defined as “remaining in an unpleasant place.” January can be an intense month for those who are languishing. But there is hope and gratitude.

Dr. Merry Lin, a registered clinical psychologist says, “One of the biggest mental health issues I see on a regular basis isn’t depression or anxiety. Its people who are languishing.”

Languishing is not the presence of mental illness; it’s the absence of mental and emotional vitality. Dr Lin calls it the “winter of your soul.”

The winter of our souls can feel all-consuming and never ending. The good news is winter is not forever.

Dr Lin has over twenty years of experience in counseling individuals, couples, and families on a variety of personal issues.  She found herself “languishing” a few years ago.

Dr Lin observed five things that contributed to the winter of her soul:

1. Living a life of ignored introspection.
2. Action valued over reflection.
3. Rushing through life mindlessly.
4. Not growing through hardships.
5. Not knowing that she was stuck or why she was stuck.

10 Statements Of The Languishing

Use the rankings below to evaluate where you are.

1 = not at all true
2 = sometimes
3 = often
4 = most of the time
5 = completely true

1. I am juggling my responsibilities and feel like I can’t keep up with the demands of life.
2. When I stop I feel emotionally or physically exhausted.
3. I wish I could take a significant break to rest and reflect on my life with some soul-searching.
4. My spiritual life feels dry and lifeless.
5. I have a hard time sensing God’s presence in my life or experiencing His love for me.
6. I seem to struggle with the same issues over and over in my life and don’t know why.
7. I don’t like to think about negative or uncomfortable things for too long and I distract myself to feel better.
8. I’m uncomfortable with strong emotions and would rather focus on practical, sensible things.
9. I feel stuck, knowing I need to make some changes but unsure where to start.
10. People rely on me and think of me as competent, but I don’t know how I feel or if I care anymore.

If your total score is 10-20 you appear to have good self-awareness. Use the opportunity to truly live out what you know.

If your total score is 21-30 your life could use some improvement. Take a look at the scores of 3 and higher to identify what you need to focus on.

If you total score is 31-50 take heed. Seize this opportunity to re-calibrate your life.

Re-calibrating Your Life

1.  Start by simply affirming that God cares about you. He knows where are you and how you feel. He will help you move your life forward.

2. Ask yourself, “What activities, tasks, or relationships are draining the life away from me?”

Write down everything you’ve done – or tried to do – in the past month – your meetings, tasks, events, responsibilities, connections, etc. Are these things sapping your energy or bearing fruit?

3. Note the things that are rooted in fear or insecurity.

4. Work at addressing one issue at a time. Tackle the one you feel is most simple to deal with. Then address the next one.

5. Thank God for his favor.

Taking time to re-calibrate in winter will ready you for spring and the new life God is bringing to you.

Robert (Bob) W. Jones is a recovering perfectionist, who collects Coca-Cola memorabilia and drinks Iced Tea. His office walls are adorned with his sons’ framed football jerseys, and his library shelves, with soul food. He writes to inspire people to be real, grow an authentic faith in Jesus, enjoy healthy relationships and discover their life purpose.

A January View - Pamely Mytroen

The beginning of a new year is like standing on the top of a hill. We can look back at where we’ve come from and look ahead to a new road. If we look back, what do we see?

Do we see trails that we started but never finished? Do we see broken down fences that we never repaired? Do we see a blight on the pasture land that we caused by neglect?

What does God see when he looks back on our past year? There is one thing he’s looking for. He is not looking for a paved path, a healthy growing pasture land, or plump livestock. He is looking for an attitude of the heart. When God looked back at King David’s life, he did not remember his adultery, his murderous actions, or his lies. He remembered his broken heart and his repentant spirit when Nathan the prophet confronted him.

God valued the sorrow of David’s heart more than anything else he accomplished during his 40 year reign. He did not remember his sins nor his great feats of kinghood. He remembered his tears.

Every king that ruled after David was compared to David. King Solomon, though the most wealthy and wise man of all history, had his kingdom torn away from his hands because he did not follow the Lord completely as his father David had done. How had his father David followed the Lord completely? By repenting.

God brought disaster on the house of Jeroboam because he did not follow God with all his heart like his servant David had done.

“You have not been like my servant David who kept my commands and followed me with all his heart, doing only what was right in my eyes.” God spoke this to Jeroboam in 1 Kings 14:8

"His heart was not fully devoted to the Lord his God, as the heart of David his forefather had been.” God said this of Ahijah King of Judah in 1 Kings 15:3.

It seems that as God reviews our life, he will not look at our lists of accomplishments and our good deeds. He will not check off our goals that we accomplished or the New Years resolutions that we maintained. Nor will he point a shaking finger at our lies, our gossip, our fears. He will search out an attitude of repentance. He will close his eyes and breathe in, and hope to fill his senses with an aroma of brokeness and humility.

When God looks back on New Years Day, he only looks as far as Christmas Day. He’s looking for a heart of humility like the one found in the stable. When he looks ahead, he only sees as far as Easter. He listens for the sharp retort of nails being pounded into our sin. He aches for us in the cry of release as we surrender our lives to the cross, and He longs to sing with us on resurrection Sunday.

God’s view is complete. He can recall every word we’ve spoken, and review every action our hands have done. But he chooses to see only one thing – Jesus and his humility; Jesus and his obedience, and his perfect offering on the cross. He lays aside his gavel and smiles when he sees our submission to His Son, just like he viewed David with eyes of mercy.

January affords a backward and forward view. Let's remember to see our lives through God's eyes.

Pam Mytroen