Walking In The Light While You’re Hurting
There is a worship song that says, “You give life, you are love, you bring life to the darkness. You give hope, you restore, every heart that is broken. Great are you Lord." I love this song because it speaks to the heart of the gospel message. There is a lot that goes on in our world every day that can be overwhelming to a person’s heart. We have family dysfunctions, injustice, church wounds, broken relationships, and more. Through these times, it can be easy to ask; “Can God show up for me? Does He hear my cry? Does He see what I am enduring"? I have been there several times in my life. I have sat wondering when I would get the answers to the things that shattered my heart.
The lyric to that song reminds me of a few scriptures I have been reflecting on these past couple of weeks. When there is a lot of life happening around a person, I have witnessed individuals question their faith or if they should have any at all. Many things are constantly fighting for our attention like; the latest Tik Tok, Instagram reels, and Twitter retweets. Sometimes, we find ourselves looking for solutions that bring temporary comfort to our pain and sorrow to our joy. We long for people to walk with us, to see us, to bear the weight of hearts with us. As God gives us people in our lives to stand beside us, there are times in our lives when it can feel like we are enduring a season alone.
1 John 1:5-7 reads, “This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light, and there is absolutely no darkness in him. If we say, “We have fellowship with him,” and yet we walk in darkness, we are lying and are not practicing the truth. If we walk in the light as he himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin."
As I have sat across tables listening to the hearts of people who are trying to figure out what religion is all about; I have noticed that many people believe things based on the experience they were a part of growing up. It is hard to unpack the truth when all you know is to follow what others close to you said to do instead of seeking it for yourself. But what happens when they cannot carry nor understand the suffering, pain, or even disappointments that you sit deep in your heart?
How do you walk in the light of life when the world around you seems dark? This is what the scripture in 1 John 1:5-7 is talking about. So, how do you discern what is from the One true and living God? It reads, "There is NO darkness in Him." Yes, God is a God of love; but he is also a God of mercy. He is a God that corrects us from wrong so that we walk in the light of Him when our shoulders are heavy with fluffiness from the world.
To the person that is continually hurting in their heart, there is a promise given to us by God. Deuteronomy 31:8 says “The Lord is the One who will go before you. He will be with you; He will not leave you or forsake you. Do not be afraid or discouraged." There are several scriptures in the Bible that write about God never forsaking us meaning, He will not abandon us.
Jesus loves you. There is no shame, sin, or setback that He cannot handle. There is no mountain too big that He cannot reach. His promises are true. The way to believe and stand on them is by experiencing His agape love for yourself, in your own heart.
Join the #ICanBeTheLight blog series as I share writing pieces behind my new children’s book titled I Can Be The Light. Learn more at www.icanbethelight.shop.
