7 Ways to See the Beauty of God Through Dreary Winters

Without a doubt, Winter brings us back to God. For someone who struggles with depression, especially in the Winter months, I often find myself coming back to God. Since times are hard and my depression is not lacking in any sense, I tend to turn to God, express my pain, and rely on Him more often than I do in the other months of the year. Depression often gets the best of me during the Winter months, yet this is when I see God most clearly. 

God doesn't think less of me when I'm struggling with depression in the Winter months nor does He withhold His comfort from me. Instead, I experience His comfort, grace, and presence even while I'm struggling. The same goes for you. God is present with you this Winter. Whether you are also prone to suffer from depression during the Winter months or not, know that He is with you. 

Allow this truth to bring you back to Him. God can surround you with His love and bring hope back into your heart. Depression doesn't have to be full of doom and gloom if we turn to God. He can help us to see beauty in the darker months of the year. The twinkling stars, the fresh air, and the first fall of snow are all things that Winter brings to us, which are all because of God.

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Winter also shows the beauty of God because it demonstrates to us how He can bring light out of darkness. God did this on the first day of Creation and He continues to do this everyday for us (Genesis 1:3). The Apostle Paul also tells us, “For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:6). 

Winter is a dark season, yet if we look to God, we see light. The beautiful sun still comes out during the Winter, even if it might not be out for very long. We need to hold on to this promise because God will forever bring the light to us. The darkness flees from God as He is the embodiment of light. One day in the Eternal Kingdom, God will be our only light (Revelation 22:5). No longer will we need physical lights or even the sun or the moon. 

At the present time, we need to praise God for bringing light out of darkness in every area of our lives, both physically and spiritually. Although it can be hard to see God’s light at times, it is present nonetheless. Allow His brilliant light to give you hope for the future. May we all remember the wise words of the Apostle John, “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” (John 1:5).

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The uniqueness of our wonderful God is shown through Winter. Even if we may be someone who doesn’t particularly like Winter, we can still appreciate God’s unique creativity in this season. Winter is the only month where we have shorter days, longer nights of stars, and snow. While the latter can be debatable depending on where you live, most people only experience snow during the Winter months. All of these things are unique to Winter and they don’t need to be overlooked.

Maybe we don’t like the cold, but the snow won't fall unless it is cold enough. In the same way, maybe we don’t like the short days, but the dazzling stars wouldn’t be out as much if the sun stayed up longer. When we view things from this perspective, we can see that Winter is unique and beautiful all by itself. And ultimately, this is because God created it and everything He created is beautiful.

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Think about the last time you woke up to a layer of snow outside. It’s been many years for me; however, whenever I wake up to snow, it gives me an inner calmness. Everything is quiet, the snow has fallen, and serenity fills the air. There cannot be any hustle and bustle after it has snowed because the roads are covered. Everything moves slower on snow days and they give us a chance to experience calmness like we cannot during the other seasons of the year. 

Rather than dreading the rest of Winter, try to look for God’s beauty through it. Maybe it is found in the first fall of snow and the peace that God brings to your heart. You can stay at home, relax, and spend time with your family. This is a gift from God and a chance to be more thankful for Him. Snow can often be seen as an annoyance, but it is actually a beautiful representation of inner calm and stillness.

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Sometimes Winter causes us to change our normal routines. For reasons, such as snow or below freezing temperatures, some of us have to change what we normally do on a given day. For example, I really love being outside and taking walks; however, when it is sub-freezing temperatures, it is not safe to go out. On these days, I try to do something else I enjoy, such as reading or doing crafts. If it wasn’t for Winter, I probably would have never rediscovered my love for these things.

In this way, we are shown the beauty of God in the ordinary. Although it can still be hard to get out of our normal routine, Winter calls us to stop and step away from normalcy. By stepping away from normalcy, we will be more prone to see God. His love, grace, and beautiful blessings are shown to us in Winter and helps us to see the world in a new light. Rather than growing frustrated when we are out of our normal routines, we give thanks to God for the opportunity to do new things.

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As the days get shorter and the nights longer, we are also blessed with the gift of having time to reflect upon life. Since everything tends to move a bit slower after the holiday season and because of severe weather, we have time to sit with our thoughts and reflect upon our lives. Sometimes this can be a great opportunity to be brought before the Lord in repentance and to bring our sins to Him. Other times, this might mean asking God for guidance on life. 

Still, other times, we might find ourselves crying out to God because we don’t know what has gone wrong in our lives. Regardless of your feelings, bring them to God. Ask Him to help you with your life going forward. He is faithful, and He can be fully trusted with the future (1 Corinthians 1:9; Psalm 33:4). Reflect upon your life this Winter and rely on God to help you cover any missing puzzle pieces, loose ends, or regrets.

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Lastly, it is important to mention how Winter shows the beauty of God in the way that it helps us to learn about Him. Walking home in the cold or shoveling snow from our driveways has a way of pointing us to God’s strength and goodness. Even though we are going through literal periods of darkness in the Winter, God’s strength, kindness, and love shines through. We might think we don’t have the endurance to make the long walk home or to clean the driveway, yet God shows up for us time after time. 

This helps us to learn more about Him. We see His love and goodness, even when everything around us feels like darkness. Take some time this Winter to pull out your Bible and start reading about Him every day. Daily reflection upon the Bible and prayer can help you learn more about Him. In turn, this will help you draw closer to Him.

Don’t allow the Winter months to shroud God’s beauty because it is all around us. Use Winter as an opportunity to see His goodness and to learn more about Him. Winter comes only for a few months a year, yet it still attests to the majesty, love, and beauty of our great and wonderful God.

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