The winter season often is more than just a weather change; it’s a soul shift, and with it can come bleak thoughts as we wade through the longer and darker days. The prolonged darkness can lull us into a slumbering state, where getting up, getting out, and staying motivated can become a daily struggle. This grayscale living can cause callouses to form in our hearts, separating us from the joy of our salvation. The darkness can amplify the bleak headlines, it can heighten our anxieties around our ailing bodies, and our dark mood can lead us to isolate, pulling us away from those who spur us on in our faith journeys.
The Bible warns us against the darkness and chaos of this world that so easily can consume our hearts, leaving us feeling hardened and alone. God calls us to guard the tenderness of hearts. Proverbs 4:23 tells us, “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” Our hearts are vital to our spiritual health; we have to be diligent to keep our hearts open to God’s love, even in dark seasons of the soul.
Spiritual Winter Seasons
For years, as I struggled under the weight of chronic anxiety and depression, I would tiptoe into the new year with great apprehension, as it felt like every January ushered in a descent into a personal battle with the oppressive darkness of Winter. It seemed the coldness of the season somehow stunted the joy of my soul. We all have times we feel this way, as sometimes our souls reflect the physical seasons, and other times, circumstances invite spiritual winter seasons. These seasons are characterized by lonely days, grief, loss, exhaustion, burnout, emotional withdrawal, anxiety, and depression.
In the Bible, we read the laments of others who, just like us, traveled through winter seasons. David laments in Psalm 42:1-3, “As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God? My tears have been my food day and night, while people say to me all day long, “Where is your God?”
When our hearts are hardened, we feel far from God, and the primary question that resounds in our hearts is God, where are you! But as we ask that question, God begins the process of softening our hearts towards Him. The question is the start of a journey back towards God’s providence and grace. As we read the Psalms, we see how David and others express their heartbreak but then return to God’s grace. Our faith grows in the winter as we wait and wonder what God could be doing with the barren wasteland that is our lives.
Hardened Hearts Threaten Our Relationship with God
When we find ourselves stuck in a hard place, indifferent to God’s voice, withdrawing from others, and cynical, there is great danger that we can fall away from God. Hebrews 2:12-13 states, “See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.” Our hearts often deceive us. Not one of us is righteous on our own. When we feel the pain taking over our minds, bodies, and souls, we have to be vigilant not to turn away from the living God.
Stay encouraged, find community, and remember we don’t have the full picture, only God does. We have to trust that he will do what he promised, which is to make all things new in his perfect timing. We can cast our cares before him, we can pour our heartbreak and fears before him instead of walling off our hearts to the only one who is able to save us.
God Desires Softness, Not Self-Protection
God’s way goes against our every instinct. When things feel hard, the natural instinct is to pull back. When we experience loss, our natural instinct is to place the blame. When we are hurt, our natural instinct is to close ourselves off to the world. But God asks us to remain soft-hearted even in this hard and chaotic world. Ezekiel 36:26 promises, “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.” This soft heart posture is not something we achieve on our own. All that is required of us is a willingness to continue to trust God through the Winter, and he miraculously provides the flesh heart that is required to follow God’s way.
Psalm 51:17 states, “My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise.” Brokenness does not pull us away from God. It’s what we do with the broken stories that either draws us closer to his presence or removes us from our relationship with Him. Softness is not weakness; it’s humility that invites God and others into our stories. None of us makes it out of this life without facing pain, discouragement, and hardships. To stay soft in the face of struggle is vulnerability before God during the winter seasons.
Practices That Keep the Heart Tender in Winter
God’s word is a lamp unto our feet and a light for our path (Psalm 119:105). There are many times when we feel we are stuck in the dark, unsure how to move forward. We need a miracle to see correctly the path forward! God’s word is a book that offers miraculous insight for our lives. The Bible tells us that its words are alive, active, and powerful (Hebrews 4:12). Cling to God’s word when you feel your mind and body struggling. Some key scriptures to meditate on include Psalm 27, Isaiah 40:31, Philippians 4:6-7, and Isaiah 41:10. Slowly study these verses, let their truths permeate your heart, and cling to the encouragement the Bible offers.
The temptation is to hide away during our winter seasons. We don’t want to be a burden to those around u,s and often we don’t have the words or energy to express our feelings. Nonetheless, the Bible reminds us that two is better than one (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12), and often our breakthrough begins the moment we reach out to someone who can support us. This can look like starting counseling, doing intentional check-ins with a friend or your partner, getting involved in a church small group, or inviting others to share an activity with you, such as walking together.
Even in our darkest hour, there are things we can be thankful for. Oftentimes, we get fixated on the negative, which leads to bitterness and hurt, but a simple change in perspective can change everything. Choosing to focus on your blessings, on the simple joys life offers, and the ways God has been good to you can help to soften your heart. Journaling and praying with gratitude for God’s faithfulness has the power to transform your heart.
Get outside your circumstances by taking time to serve others. We often only see our own pain, but people all around us are struggling too! Keep your heart outward-facing through a dedication to kindness and service to others. Galatians 6:9 reminds us not to get weary in doing good. Even when it feels hard to do good, by God’s grace, we can stay the course!
Remember, winter doesn’t last forever. Seasons come and go, and our current hardship will not last forever. Grief lessens over time, hope breaks the chains of despair, and mercy ushers in new life. Be patient, trusting God’s timing and looking for his lessons in each part of your story. Nothing is wasted when we are children of God. Often God grows deep roots in us through our winter seasons.
Choosing Softness Daily
Remember, the heart is something we have to guard in every season of life. When we become discouraged, apathetic, distracted, or disengaged, sin can quickly take root in our lives. Bitterness, numbness, and isolation are powerful strategies the enemy of our souls utilizes to sideline us from the work the Lord has called us to do here in the land of the living. Thankfully, God is so gracious and meets us in the winter, preparing us for the renewal that is promised in the spring season. The best is yet to come.
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