Savior Over Santa

 Has your relationship with the Lord ever paralleled a child's relationship with the mall Santa?Sometimes it feels as if we have entered a long line of fussy, fidgety kids who are scared, excited, and impatient to submit their requests to the big guy.Slowly, we make our way up the line to the cardboard, cotton land of the North Pole. We hurry to sit on a lap, rattle off a list of things we want, smile or cry, hop off, and go wandering back to the world.As we walk away, we wonder if he heard us and will give us what we want. Then, we wait--long hours and days--wondering if his gifts will magically appear.

Savior Over Santa

I will be the first to admit that I have often approached the Lord in prayer as if He is the mall Santa, anticipating He'll give me whatever I ask for."Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours." -Mark 11:24 (ESV)Jesus' words are often taken out of context here. Thus, we believe whatever we ask for, we will get. We think we deserve our requests because we've been "so good" or have gone through "so much."The truth is, we're all on the "naughty list" and deserve wrath and judgment. But the Father loved us so much He sent His only son Jesus to move us to the "saved" list.

Mark 11:24 Explained

When Jesus said, we can ask the Lord for anything; He meant we can humbly come before the Lord to ask for forgiveness, thank Him for our Savior, praise His holy name and submit our requests. (Mark 11:20-26)If our request aligns with the Lord's will, He'll grant them. If not, it's because He has something better planned for us."For my thoughts are not your thoughts; neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD." -Isaiah 55:8 (ESV)

Blessed in His Love

Sis, the Lord's love for you is SO big. (Ephesians 3:14-21) He wants you to live blessed in His love. Ask God to replace your desires with His desires. Ask what HE wants. You'll be amazed at what He's got in store for you for His Glory!"The LORD has heard my plea; the LORD accepts my prayer." -Pslam 6:9 (ESV)

More

Did you enjoy "Savior Over Santa"? Find more encouragement from Natalie here!Want more? Check out this week's episode of the podcast on Advent here! 

Author of “Savior Over Santa”Natalie Hixson

Natalie Hixson is a wife, mother, auntie, and certified professional life coach who helps discouraged Christian moms overcome destructive anger and burnout. After learning to thrive in motherhood and process anger in a healthy way, Natalie became convicted to help other moms avoid those dark years of motherhood by helping them to appreciate and process their anger, learn to identify their triggers, and ultimately control their reaction to those triggering situations. She enjoys her own motherhood journey by hanging with her husband Mike and their three daughters in beautiful Bozeman, Montana. She recharges with Jesus, coffee, and adventures with her family like skiing in the winter, hiking and swimming in the summer, and traveling year-round!

Website: www.nataliehixson.com