When All I See Is Darkness

Struggling with hope doesn't make you unChristian. It makes you human.

Growing up on a farm with an unreliable power grid meant that we always had candles on hand. Power outages weren’t exactly common, but they weren’t unusual.

I never realized how much light a candle puts out until it was the only light we had in the middle of the night.

Light is powerful. One candle can illuminate an entire room. And if you add more candles, it’s even brighter.

Wouldn’t that be nice to have for our spiritual lives? To light a candle to beat back the darkness when it’s suffocating us?

I think it’s possible.

Has God forgotten to be gracious? Has he slammed the door on his compassion? And I said, “This is my fate; the Most High has turned his hand against me.” But then I recall all you have done, O Lord; I remember your wonderful deeds of long ago.

Psalm 77:9-11

I know a lot of people who struggle with depression and sadness at this time of year. Christmas isn’t always happy for everyone. But struggling with sadness doesn’t make someone unChristian. It just makes them human.

Believers who struggle during this season still believe. They may just need someone to sit with them, someone to hold their hands, someone to listen and not fix. A quiet moment of understanding can go so much further than a pointing finger.

I’ve had moments where I’ve forgotten to look for God’s goodness in my life. That doesn’t mean I’ve failed. It doesn’t make me unworthy of His love. It just means I need Him more than I did, and it helps me to have people in my life who remind me of His faithfulness.

I know God is faithful, but sometimes I need help to remember.

So if you’re struggling, light a candle. Talk to a friend who loves you. If you have a friend who is struggling, sit with them. Ask them how you can help. Make sure they know you see them. Most of the time, that’s all they really need.

Let’s light a bunch of candles this year, my friends. The darkness is darker than ever, but that just means the light will show up brighter.

Questions for Reflection:

• Have you stopped to consider specifically what is discouraging you this season? Is it your relationships? Your job? Your financial situation? Write down what is troubling you.

• Have you taken time to talk to Jesus about your circumstances? About how you feel? Would you be willing to do that?

• Have you shared your feelings with someone you can trust?

Weekly Memory Verse