“Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 8:12
It seems, even as Christians we can have a fear of the dark. There is a condition called Nyctophobia, a severe fear of the night, which, according to WIKIPEDIA “is triggered by the brain’s disfigured perception of what would, or could, happen when in a night-time environment. It can also be temporarily triggered if the mind is unsteady or scared about recent events or ideas, or a partaking in content the brain considers a threat.”
Do those triggers sound familiar?
How often do we allow our brains ‘disfigured perception’ to control what we do, how we act, or how we react? How often do we allow input into our minds and spirits that build fear? I would wager too often.
We are children of the light, Ephesians 5:8, so we can and should walk in the light. Which means if we are walking in a time of confusion, the Bible tells us that God’s word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our paths, Psalm 119:105, so even if darkness is all around us, we have enough light to see how to take our next step.
We are children of the light
When we feel as though we lack the knowledge, wisdom, guidance, or clarity to face anything, the Bible tells us that God said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” as it has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ, 2 Corinthians 4:6. We have access to God, to Jesus, to Holy Spirit, and they have all the knowledge we could ever need, for any situation we could possibly face.
There is verse upon verse telling us we have no reason to be afraid of the dark, because God’s light is not only before and around us but shines from within us.
God’s light is not only before and around us but shines from within us.
I don’t know what your ‘dark’ is, but I’d wager that like the description above it is linked to a fear of something that could happen or did happen. I want to tell you, and remind myself, that ‘The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.’, John 1:5.
Whether you are in a time of darkness right now, have just exited the darkness, or can see it on the horizon, it cannot overcome you. You are a child of the light, not only can it not overcome you, but you are also a light to others, Matthew 5:16, and will help them to see God, our light, so they can access the light for themselves.
I encourage you, when darkness is encroaching on your life, on your situation, in your mind, or on someone you love that you tell it to make itself scare. There is no room for darkness among God’s people, we are carriers of His light and we don’t need to worry about what might be hiding in those shadows, because God has already let us know that He can and will overcome it.