December 18, 2023: Cheerfully Equipped
- Liana V.
- Dec 18, 2023
- 4 min read
Cheerfully Equipped
“And the angel said unto them, 'Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.'”
Luke 2:10
“But the angel reassured them, saying, “Don’t be afraid. For I have come to bring you good news, the most joyous news the world has ever heard! And it is for everyone everywhere!”
Luke 2:10 TPT
Fear not. It is so easy to say, but much harder to do. Right?
I recognize that my point of view is limited. I understand that what & how I am able to reference is restrained by my experience and ultimately my lifespan, and to be clear I did not do a deep dive of study.
But this is What I know:
2018 statistic showed 6.68% of Americans suffer from anxiety.
2021 statistic showed 16.8% of Americans suffer from anxiety.
Previously, anxiety grew from 5.12% in 2008 to 6.68% in 2018- 1.5% in an entire decade. Now over 10% in 3 years. To be fair there has been a slight decline since 2021 but it's small.
I know fear and anxiety are not the same but they're definitely interrelated. They go hand in hand one causing the other. It often comes as a cycle: a stressor, causing worry, which ramps up into anxiety on how to handle or how it will turn out, and often surmounting in fear. I know too that the Christmas season can make these feelings heightened.
I want to mention all of this because It's important to talk about why we’ve made certain things ok when God says they're not. You aren't meant to be under this amount of stress, worry, anxiety, and fear. God’s Word says:
“Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.”
1 Peter 5:7 NLT
Do you know what the very next verse says?
“Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.”
1 Peter 5:8 NLT
The devil is working in our midst heeping more and more stress, worries, and anxiety upon us, especially at a time when the Spirit of God abounds during this season.
“Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.”
1 Peter 5:9 NIV
Resist him by not allowing the heaps of anxiety strangle you. Cast all you cares upon the Lord. He's tough enough to handle it, His feet can walk through it with much more ease, and His shoulders are broad enough to carry it for us.
Receive the gift Jesus came to give you this Christmas.
Great joy! The best news that mankind has ever received and its for everyone. Everyone includes you!
“The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy.”
Psalms 126:3 NIV
Prayer: I feel compelled more than ever to pray the armor of God over myself and over my family. I want to declare it as an act of faith and stand firm. But I want to do it with joy, not begrudgingly. I want to be armed in faith, cheerfully equipped, and readied for war. Thank you Lord that you do ALL of this for me. You only ask that I get dressed in faith! If today is the first let it be the first for the rest of my life. I commit to standing firm and doing it joyfully. In Jesus's name we pray, amen!
”Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints—“
Ephesians 6:10-18 NKJV
Cookie Decorating Competition
Do you make rollout cookies every year? Do you have memories full of laughter, sticky fingers, and sugar jitters? I know I do. Can I be honest with you? I hate being the adult in these memories. The one where all the dough had to be rolled out, cut, and baked by me. Maybe you love it! That's amazing- can you do that part for me? I'd much rather sit down and enjoy the decorating. Here is how I found joy in it again.
Yes! There are losers. 🤣😂. There will be only 1 declared winner. Winning rights are bragging rights. You can do this with your household, with the extended family on Christmas Eve, or at a Christmas Party. No rules on how to compete. Secret: This will help get those cookies decorated. Only 1 cookie can be submitted for judgement. Decorate as many amazing cookies as you can and submit your favorite. Only decorate 1 it must be submitted. Everyone participates!
These are some of the submissions from a recent gathering. Tell us which # is your favorite!
#5!
Rolling out cookies has been a tradition of mine since childhood. My daughter loves the whole process and I love handing down the tradition.
I needed this devotional today!
Love this message! This time of year can be so hard for me. I put too much pressure on myself with all the “things”
But this year I have really been focusing on what I am doing. And maybe things are not “ perfect” whatever that means. But are they better?! Is what I did better than it was before? Than that is enough and it takes a lot of the pressure I put on myself away.
I take those worry and thoughts to God and try very hard to remember my family, my friends and my God are not judging me. The devil is just attacking where I can feel weakest . 🙏🏻❤️🙏🏻❤️
#1 looks pretty good to me.
#4 is my favorite because at first glance I couldn’t see it, but then I looked closer and was surprised at all of the detail.
Stay alert! Amen! It helps so much to think of fear and anxiety as a tool of the devil. When we don’t label it that way…. His greatest tool creeps in. Doubt. Rather than thinking what is wrong with me, why am I like this and so on….. I can see it’s an attack. This helps me at least!
I’m the opposite of you Liana. I love the baking and the preparation for the cookie decorating. It’s methodical and quiet. Haha. My husband usually is the one that gets more hands on with the kids for decorating. The chaos and bad child decorating drives me nuts! 🤣🤣 I love it but dislike it at the same time.
I love #7