In the bleak midwinter,

frosty wind made moan,

earth stood hard as iron,

water like a stone…

These are the words of a 19th-century poem by Christina Rossetti, which would eventually be adapted into a popular Christmas hymn. They reflect one of the realities of this Advent season that we have just entered into – there is a hardness to this time.

Even as we celebrate the joy of the birth of our Savior, we do so at the time of year when life can often feel the bleakest. The days are growing shorter and darker. Long gone are warm summer days of sunshine and ease. Indeed, the earth is now hard as iron, the refreshing water of life has turned to stone.

But the difficulty of this time isn’t simply meteorological. There is a very real emotional and spiritual darkness that can fall upon us during Christmastime. At the very time of year where we are expected to feel the most happiness and cheer we can, in reality, be feeling the most sadness and stress.

Perhaps you are in that place today, friend? This season of additional busyness and stress feels more like a burden than a relief. You are anxious about buying Christmas presents for your kids. You are dreading a difficult interaction with a family member. You anticipate the overwhelming grief of facing this season without someone you love. You regret that another year has passed, and you are still struggling with a besetting sin that you thought you would have outgrown by now. Or maybe you have just a general sense of being weary, sad, and overwhelmed, and you can’t put your finger on why.

How can we have hope when, both literally and metaphorically, the days grow dark and hard this December?

1. Press Into the Promises of the Gospel

The promise of the gospel is that darkness will not have the final word in our lives. In fact, the very promise of the incarnation of Christ is that the people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone. (Isaiah 9:2). Because God became man in Christ, we have a hope that shines out like light into the deepest darkness of sin and suffering:

• The good news of Jesus gives you peace in the midst of your anxieties and fears: God has given up his only son for you – how will he not also with Christ give you all things? You can trust him in any circumstance. (Romans 8:32)
• The good news of Jesus gives you hope in your grief: Jesus is the resurrection and the life of all who believe in him – though they die – yet shall they live. In Jesus God has promised you an inheritance and that imperishable, undefiled, unfading, kept in heaven for you. (John 11:25, 1 Peter 1:4)
• The good news of Jesus gives you comfort in your sadness: as you share in Christ’s sufferings, you are promised that you will share in the comfort of Christ. Your pain and weakness are knitting you to Christ in a profound way. (2 Corinthians 1:3-7)
• The good news of Jesus gives you courage in your battle with sin: You have been crucified with Christ, it is now longer you who live, but Christ who lives in you. The life you now live you live by faith in the Son of God who loves you and has given his life for you. Through Christ you have the power to fight sin. Whom the Son sets free is free indeed. (Galatians 2:20, John 8:36)

2. Don’t Suffer in Silence

When you are saved into Christ, you were saved into his people. You are not meant to live the Christian life on your own. This means that, in the darkness of this season, you have a place to go with your struggles, sufferings, and sins. You have brothers and sisters in Christ whom God has placed in your life to carry your burdens with you. You have gospel partners to direct your heart to God’s love and to the steadfastness of Christ.

• If you are feeling particularly sad, depressed, or anxious this holiday season, I would encourage you to reach out to a friend, family member, or Harvest leader for help and support. As your pastors, we would welcome the opportunity to support you and care for you – and even to direct you towards a counselor who might be able to provide more comprehensive support. You can submit a confidential request for care at yourpastors@harvestopc.org.
• If you are trapped in a besetting sin from which you can’t find freedom, I would encourage you to confess that to someone you trust. Coming into the light is the first step towards freedom and healing. It is a difficult step, but God promises that if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. (1 John 1:7)

A Personal Note From Your Pastors

As we enter into this season together, the Lord has given us a wonderful opportunity to demonstrate the power of the gospel to one another. To rejoice together at the wonderous mystery of the incarnate Christ – God become man for our salvation. To weep with those who weep and to comfort our struggling brothers and sisters. In the bleak midwinter, let us draw near to the light of Christ together. He will multiply our joy as we rest in him.