Without conquering personal darkness, your gifts can go to waste…
… leaving the world deprived of what God intends for you to bring.
The first battle is within:
Overcoming the darkness of the soul.
Feelings of isolation, confusion, fear, emptiness, doubt, shame, depression, regret, bitterness, and despair all fit in this category.
The primary way to defeat these oppressive feelings is to turn to the Lord in prayer.
“The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; He delivers them from all their troubles. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit” (Ps. 34:17-18).
If you’re struggling with dark thoughts, make it a habit to talk to God.
Live with Him as your constant companion.
He is the only one who can turn your darkness into light (Ps. 18:24).
Second, we must overcome the darkness of the world.
The weight of an ungodly culture is heavy, stripping away hope and eroding confidence.
But this is exactly where God calls us to shine!
And we can when we remember…
‘The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it’ (Jn. 1:5)
‘He delivered us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son’ (Col. 1:13).
‘You were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord’ destined to ‘live as children of light’ (Eph. 5:8-11).
Darkness is a brutal adversary.
But God provides what it takes to overcome it.
And in Him you are equipped to live as a light to your world (Mt. 5:14-16).