Submitted by Pastor Richard Boettner, Rock Port Baptist Church

For several years I have been developing a concept of “January Discontentment” (my own original term) and maybe have mentioned it from time to time in different stories during my messages for those who worship with us at the Rock Port Baptist Church. The idea is that winter seems to carry a load for us here in northwest Missouri that is not easy to bear. I am glad to be writing for the Atchison County Mail here in late January, but also preparing for a three-day snow event and more time away from school.

In my own meditation and evaluation I have looked a lot at nature for the past few years and winter is a time for animals to hunker down in the ground to stay warm. Hibernation and living off the storage of food from last summer and fall is essential to survive.

In the world of plants everything seems dead or dormant, with very little verdant except for evergreen trees. We see from the study of trees that they continue to grow during the winter, whether adding deeper roots to avail of warmth and moisture, or adding rings to the trunk to allow for more strength in the years ahead. Yet we don’t see much happening above ground.

The mechanical world seems to take winter hard as well, whether with the increase of potholes in the roads, needs on the house that looked okay even a month or so ago, and common car problems like dead batteries or bad tires. Winter is the most common time of year for house fires and safety is critical with all the furnaces running to keep us warm.

People have their own tendencies, too, whether it is simply to avoid it all by going south to Arizona, Texas, or Florida, or procrastinating tasks until spring. And if these are viable options for some people they can be good choices in the right context. Personally, I feel like my arthritis has been more of a problem than past winters and I am reminded to be careful, take pain medicine, and pace myself wisely. Many families with children struggle with constant illness as colds and influenza are rampant during the winter months.

Perhaps in the work world around us people seem to like their jobs a lot less as well. I can think of times in the past when people lost their jobs that cutbacks, layoffs, and downsizing all started in January as soon as Christmas was over. So much for peace on earth when it seems backstabbing and thoughtless or careless budget cuts prevail over the needs of people.

Having said all of this I am leading to the essential value of God’s Word as we study it, whether alone or together in the body of Christ. One key passage talks about being “rooted and built up in Christ” and “overflowing with thankfulness” (Col. 2:6,7). Now that is a challenge when January discontentment might leave me feeling overwhelmed or apathetic towards the Lord, His Word and His Church.

Sometimes I feel that my time in God’s Word is SO essential that there would be nothing in life to be happy about at all without this renewed presence of God in my heart. I would probably just go back to the complaining negativism or pointless materialism that seems so prevalent in the secular people around me in this world.

The exhortation is to “preach the Word in season and out of season” (2 Tim. 4:2) These are important days for us to continue growing together in Christ Jesus and keep teaching God’s Word. It is not a time to neglect fellowship or to avoid meeting together as some are in the habit of doing (see Hebrews 10:24,25). I refuse to stay home and hibernate, although as a pastor I do always make a special effort to remember and to visit those who cannot get out during this season. Visits do not need to be draining but can be mutually beneficial and edifying.

If you are presently in discontentment use these cold days and dark evenings to deepen your roots and gain strength for the days ahead. I have found just extra reading of God’s Word for a few minutes helps. Listening to music is essential. I start with praise music and allow some time for classical music in the evenings or while driving. Find some activities that you enjoy and provide for good mental and physical health. Watching young people play basketball helps me, a good chess game on line, or a favorite old TV show from YouTube are all gifts of God that help me enjoy these days.

When my mind is then renewed I actually find that some of my best planning for the future can come during these winter days. And we will be SO ready when more productive days of sowing and reaping come into our lives.