10 Affirmations to Help You Thrive This Christmas by Platt Professional Counseling
What you think about matters. I couldn't agree more with the statement, "Our lives take the direction of our most powerful thoughts." In a year like 2020, it's easy to focus on all the negative that seems to never stop. We've all experienced some degree of pain, loss, disappointment, confusion, and sorrow. It's important to process all these feelings that have been thrust upon us. What has happened to us this year will inevitably form us. Our option is to either let these wounds fester in a way that disforms us from who we could be or let God transform us through our difficult experiences. In an ancient letter the Apostle Paul wrote to a group of struggling churches in Rome, he explained the opportunity for transformation this way, "We also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us."(Romans 5:3-5 NIV) This Christmas season has the potential to be one of the most transformative seasons of your life. To have a transformative experience over an experience where we are disformed, we have to make sure our thoughts are focused on the positive thoughts that help provide clarity amid difficulty. Here are 10 affirmations that you can focus on this Christmas season to foster transformation in the face of difficulty.
- This difficulty can help me better relate to the first Christmas.
The first Christmas was anything but an idealistic Hallmark Christmas movie. It was unplanned, chaotic, and less than ideal. Put simply, it was a MESS! If your world feels like a mess right now, take comfort because you're in good company. It was in a mess of a situation that the savior of the world came to humanity. Mary hadn't even had time to establish traditions in her new family. Joseph's plans were thwarted. The pressure was surmounting by their family and political tensions in their government were turbulent. Take a moment and reflect on how your current situation helps you relate to how difficult and messy the first Christmas was.
- Hope shines the brightest in the darkest moments.
One of the most powerful qualities of light is to overtake the darkness that surrounds it. Even the smallest amount of light can go a long way in a dark situation. You may not feel like you have an abundance of hope right now, but even the smallest amount can go a long way. Reach out to a friend or family member and give them some encouragement. The little bit of hope you share can go far.
- God loves me enough to come near to me.
If the Christmas story teaches us anything, it is that God doesn't remain distant. He knows firsthand all about the pain you're feeling right now. He sees you as important enough to be present to help carry your burden. Think about some ways you can look back and see how God has been near to you in previous difficult seasons.
- I am important enough for God to hear my cries.
God wants to hear about your greatest struggles because he sees you as worthy of being heard. Don't shut off your heart to God about what you're feeling. He sees you as important enough to be heard so go ahead and cry out. King David recorded captured this reality well in this Psalm, "You've kept track of my every toss and turn through the sleepless nights, Each tear entered in your ledger, each ache written in your book." (Psalm 56:8 MSG)
- 5. This season is preparing me for growth.
Maybe you're someone who gets a sense of worth by the personal development you accomplish in your life. This season has been anything but a good environment for growth. Do you know what else is a poor time for things to grow? Winter. Growth can be exciting and rewarding, but just as valuable are the times spent preparing for growth to happen. The season of winter you could be experiencing right now may not have growth, but it has the opportunity for you to prepare for abundant growth coming soon.
- Grieving doesn't mean something is broken; it means something was right.
One of the most difficult emotions to face is grief. It is how we face and make sense of loss. You have likely experienced some sort of loss this year. Maybe it was a dream that came crashing down, a business that had to be closed, or a loved one who you didn't expect to have to say goodbye to this year. Grief is a sign that what you lost was good, life-giving, and something you can cherish. God doesn't expect you to not feel sad or disappointed. We all have something to grieve this year, and God gives you the space to be able to grieve well.
- There is nothing I could ever do to make God love me less.
Do you have a situation you could have handled better this year? Has your guilt from what you've done turned to unhealthy shame? Brené Brown defines the difference between guilt and shame well when she says, "Shame is a focus on self, guilt is a focus on behavior. Shame is "I am bad." Guilt is "I did something bad." You may have made a mistake this year, but you are not a mistake. There is nothing you could ever do to make God love you less. He doesn't see you as your mistakes. He sees you for who he made you to be. With this truth, we can always stay focused on the reality that the best is yet to be.
- I can experience joy and pain at the same time.
We easily confuse the emotion of happiness with the presence of joy in our lives. Happiness can come and go because it is often centered around what is happening in our circumstance. If you’re currently watching the movie Elf for 17th time this Christmas season, you’re probably feeling happy. If you’re in the dentist chair getting a root canal, you’re probably feeling pain or regret from eating so many candy canes. Just because this year may have been difficult or painful, it doesn’t mean you don’t have the capacity to still have Joy. Joy is a state of being that enables you to see the best in every situation because of God’s presence in your life.
- I have a reason to be thankful.
Joy and gratitude go hand in hand. They are like petals on a bicycle. The more you press into them, the more momentum moving towards God you will experience in your life. Even if it doesn’t feel like much, there is something you can be thankful about. Focus on what you are thankful for and I think you’ll find that your wellbeing will get better despite what may or may not be going on around you.
- God is still in control.
Poverty, pain, and oppression were all things God’s people were familiar with when Jesus entered the world. I’m sure there were seeds of doubt about whether God was really in control or not. A little peasant baby born in a stable was likely not the grand show of God’s power and control many of God’s people were hoping to see. This year you may not feel God’s power in the way you had hoped, but that doesn’t mean God isn’t powerful. It doesn’t mean He isn’t ruling. Regardless of what you’re going through, remember that God is still in control and will be faithful to give you all you need to live your best life. If our lives take the direction of our most powerful thoughts, then what we regularly think about is extremely important. Our thoughts will inevitably get off track at times, but we must always remember that we have a choice in the direction our thoughts take. These affirmations are quick tools to use to refocus our lives in the direction we want them to take. Don't feel you have to carry all these affirmations around with you to thrive this Christmas. Pick one and use it as a defense against your unwanted negative thoughts. May this Christmas be a beautiful season of transformation as you prepare for the coming of Christ. Merry Christmas and may this be your best Christmas yet. -Platt Profession Counseling