12 Days of Christmas | Living like Jesus?

My hands have broken out in stress bumps, or some long-worded eczema. I’ve never had it happen before. I was shocked it had. Sure, my life has been a literal whirlwind of chaos, but I’ve done better, right? I thought I had the stress under control and was in control of at least myself. I’m meeting deadlines, working hard, spending time with family–for once, I’ve felt I am actually doing well, despise everything.

I guess this is my body’s way of saying…

So I spent more time with family, my family’s helping with my chores since my hands need a break, and I’m grateful. I’m grateful for the little breakdown that hurts but helped me face a reminder.

That reminder is to live like Jesus.

How easily do we forget about the emotional side of Jesus? What about the Jesus that wept, even knowing Lazareth wasn’t finished here? What about the Jesus that dwelled with His friends, no doubt laughing with them, grieving with them, and so forth? How easily do we forget Jesus was human, and therefore, had emotions? How often do we forget that not every emotion is sinful or “bad”?

I forget it a lot. Even when I try to do better, I still am not aware I’m still trying to push away any emotion or struggle and replace it with something I can control. While life is all about learning lessons… I wanted to remind you guys, like I needed to be reminded…

We are not perfect.

We cannot control others. We cannot make sure other people we love are safe or get the life we want for them.

We cannot fix the world.

And Satan will kick us where it hurts when we’re down for the count. Remember that God is with you, He loves you, and every step you take forward counts. Don’t let go of the fact God is there even when you’re overwhelmed, numb, etc. Working through emotions with God and showing Him what you feel is healthier than pushing it away.

Here are some ways to refocus, too.

• Read your Bible. Jesus is with you, and He does NOT expect you to be perfect or have it all together. So read your Bible and pray. It helps. ♥
• Get off social media. I haven’t been scrolling Instagram and it has helped wonders. Facebook is usually a “safer” place for me to enjoy without negative feedback, however last night I saw people being absolutely blasphemous, so I will limit scrolling there, as well. It is okay to limit social media!
• Adjust what work you can. You might not be able to adjust your job schedule, but if you can, take a small break from other things you can control. My goal was to hit 30k this week but if I don’t hit it, I won’t stress, either. Christmas is about looking at the bigger picture. It’s okay if a project gets left alone for a weekend.
• Spend time with family. Bake something. Sit with a parent in their room (for those with chronically ill parents, “spending time with family” doesn’t look like it does for others, but own that time anyway ♥). Shop online or in person with them. Watch a movie. If you have kiddos in the family, play with them or bake with them. Snap some silly pictures (Gabby and I are OBSESSED with the snail face filter, is that a surprise?).
• Give yourself 15 minutes to simply BE. No work, no social media, no talking with friends. Get a shower, do a face mask, read a book, listen to music, read your Bible, just breathe for a little.
• Talk with a friend. Text, call, etc, if you do better after chatting with a good friend, do so!
• Play with a pet.
• Take a walk.

I sincerely hope this helps serve as a gentle reminder that living like Jesus does not mean living like the one-sided Jesus that media can create Him into being. Jesus was not all fluff and good, happy feelings. If you don’t feel like fluff, know that Jesus has been where you are. And He’s with you now. So it is okay if you work through emotions, or feel down or struggle. Hold onto God, through it all. Even if you make mistakes, hold onto God. This is how we can grow closer to Jesus and resemble Him. ♥

Find the rest of the 12DoC on Faith’s blog!

God bless,

Ang