By Lauren Hauck
John 1:5 – “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”
Consider the following imagery: There are two rooms with no windows connected by a door. The door is closed. One room has the lights on, and the other has the lights off. If we open the door, the darkness from the room with the lights off will not make the other room dim. Instead, the light from the room with the lights on will illuminate the room with the lights off. Darkness has no impact on the room with the lights on.
As Christians, it is no surprise that we at some point will walk through a season of challenge and hardship. Hardship is just that: hard. The events that happen in this world can change the way we interact in our relationship with Christ; sometimes we lean in while other times we drift away and feel distant from the Father. I often find myself feeling distant during seasons that I am overwhelmingly busy. Our feelings and behaviors during times of hardship are a reflection of the underlying belief we have about our access to Christ. Do you feel distant during challenging seasons? I know I often do, but Theologian and Pastor John Piper stated, “My feelings are not God. God is God.” What you believe and know as true informs how you think and feel about your circumstances, but we often fall into the trap of seeing our emotions as a reflection of God’s truth. Consider this: the feelings of darkness we encounter at various seasons during our walk is not an indication of God forsaking us, but the darkness should compel us to fling wide the door and rely more heavily on the word as the Truth, which is Light.
Again, the Light pouring in when we open the door does not necessarily come as a feeling or emotion. The Light is the Truth, which informs our underlying belief about our access and relationship with Christ. To me, Light does not necessarily mean happiness; Light is hope. If your room appears to be anything but brilliantly lit right now, I urge you to continue pushing open the door, no matter how heavy, and take hope: the darkness will not overcome the Light.
Prayer: Father, please help me to rely on your word as the Truth and Light, and not my wavering emotions. When I feel the darkness creeping in, point me to your word as an unwavering reminder of your ever-shining Light.