When Darkness Breaks, His Light Remains
Bending until you break...
Why do we fight the breaking?
Is it because it feels too vulnerable?
Are we afraid that the snap of us breaking will echo loudly enough for the world to hear?
Will it expose all of our weaknesses, what’s deep down inside, and prove to everyone that we’re not perfect?
Or maybe, even deeper than that, we’re afraid that our unraveling might somehow disappoint God?
We resist the brokenness, because it hurts.
We think our brokenness equals weakness, showing how little control we really have.
But truthfully, from recent experiences, I can tell you that you don’t realize how tightly you’re holding onto control until it’s taken from you.
And only then do you find out whether or not you truly believe God will come through for you.
Everything feels like theory until it’s tested.
Have you ever felt so broken that you question if Jesus can even put it back together?
Or maybe you’ve questioned if it’s just too much for Him? Maybe, you are too much for Him?
Sometimes our hearts are wired so tightly, the only way Jesus can get in is to unplug every wire and rebuild the entire system.
Sometimes, it’s all at once.
Sometimes, it’s one wire at a time.
We can go through life holding a flashlight, thinking it’s daylight, until the battery dies.
Then we realize: the only light that never goes out, the only one not controlled by a dimmer switch of our own making, is Jesus.
His light burns so brightly in us that even in our darkest days, He loves us the most.
He loves us when we feel unlovable.
He loves us when we don’t feel good enough.
He loves us when we choose darkness over Him.
He loves us when we are selfish.
He loves us in spite of our need for control.
He even loves us on the journey back to Him.
His light isn’t a switch that He turns on and off depending on our performance. We treat Him as if He’s hot and cold, present or absent, but only because we can’t comprehend a love that truly stays no matter what.
He sees the intentions of our hearts.
He even understands our lukewarm seasons.
But our issue with light is this: it reveals things we’d rather keep hidden. We assume that if we are going to break, we will at least get to do it in the dark.
I can promise you that is not always the case.
Matthew 5:14 might give you severe anxiety if that is your mindset:
“You are the light of the world. A city situated on a hill cannot be hidden.”
The truth is that the closer we walk with Jesus, the more others see His shadow cast over our lives.
And isn’t that the goal? Not to hide in the dark, but to be so close to Jesus that what people see isn’t even us…it’s Him.
Not to be a Debbie downer, but the challenge of life isn’t a matter of if life gets tough, it is a matter of when.
So ask yourself:
What outlet or source are you plugged into?
If it’s not the eternal flame that never burns out, I can promise you, every other source eventually short circuits or fails.
If you find there are pockets of insecurity or fear in your life, dig into them. Find the roots. Rewire. And plug into the only One Who has proven time and time again that He never leaves, His Light never fades, and He is always right on time.
“Jesus spoke to them again: I am the light of the world. Anyone who follows me will never walk in the darkness but will have the light of life”–John 8:12
Prayer:
Jesus,
You see the parts of me that feel like they’re bending under pressure. I’m tired of fighting the breaking. Help me trust that even in my unraveling, You’re not disappointed—you’re present.
Where I’ve tried to stay in control, teach me to surrender. Where I’ve hidden in darkness, shine Your light and remind me that You love me as I am—not as I think I should be.
Thank You for being the constant light when everything else fades. I choose to plug into You today—my source of hope, healing, and peace.
Amen.
Why do we fight the breaking?
Is it because it feels too vulnerable?
Are we afraid that the snap of us breaking will echo loudly enough for the world to hear?
Will it expose all of our weaknesses, what’s deep down inside, and prove to everyone that we’re not perfect?
Or maybe, even deeper than that, we’re afraid that our unraveling might somehow disappoint God?
We resist the brokenness, because it hurts.
We think our brokenness equals weakness, showing how little control we really have.
But truthfully, from recent experiences, I can tell you that you don’t realize how tightly you’re holding onto control until it’s taken from you.
And only then do you find out whether or not you truly believe God will come through for you.
Everything feels like theory until it’s tested.
Have you ever felt so broken that you question if Jesus can even put it back together?
Or maybe you’ve questioned if it’s just too much for Him? Maybe, you are too much for Him?
Sometimes our hearts are wired so tightly, the only way Jesus can get in is to unplug every wire and rebuild the entire system.
Sometimes, it’s all at once.
Sometimes, it’s one wire at a time.
We can go through life holding a flashlight, thinking it’s daylight, until the battery dies.
Then we realize: the only light that never goes out, the only one not controlled by a dimmer switch of our own making, is Jesus.
His light burns so brightly in us that even in our darkest days, He loves us the most.
He loves us when we feel unlovable.
He loves us when we don’t feel good enough.
He loves us when we choose darkness over Him.
He loves us when we are selfish.
He loves us in spite of our need for control.
He even loves us on the journey back to Him.
His light isn’t a switch that He turns on and off depending on our performance. We treat Him as if He’s hot and cold, present or absent, but only because we can’t comprehend a love that truly stays no matter what.
He sees the intentions of our hearts.
He even understands our lukewarm seasons.
But our issue with light is this: it reveals things we’d rather keep hidden. We assume that if we are going to break, we will at least get to do it in the dark.
I can promise you that is not always the case.
Matthew 5:14 might give you severe anxiety if that is your mindset:
“You are the light of the world. A city situated on a hill cannot be hidden.”
The truth is that the closer we walk with Jesus, the more others see His shadow cast over our lives.
And isn’t that the goal? Not to hide in the dark, but to be so close to Jesus that what people see isn’t even us…it’s Him.
Not to be a Debbie downer, but the challenge of life isn’t a matter of if life gets tough, it is a matter of when.
So ask yourself:
What outlet or source are you plugged into?
If it’s not the eternal flame that never burns out, I can promise you, every other source eventually short circuits or fails.
If you find there are pockets of insecurity or fear in your life, dig into them. Find the roots. Rewire. And plug into the only One Who has proven time and time again that He never leaves, His Light never fades, and He is always right on time.
“Jesus spoke to them again: I am the light of the world. Anyone who follows me will never walk in the darkness but will have the light of life”–John 8:12
Prayer:
Jesus,
You see the parts of me that feel like they’re bending under pressure. I’m tired of fighting the breaking. Help me trust that even in my unraveling, You’re not disappointed—you’re present.
Where I’ve tried to stay in control, teach me to surrender. Where I’ve hidden in darkness, shine Your light and remind me that You love me as I am—not as I think I should be.
Thank You for being the constant light when everything else fades. I choose to plug into You today—my source of hope, healing, and peace.
Amen.
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2 Comments
This is so good, and absolutely hits home. Not a question of when life's troubles will hit, but when, and will we be connected to Him when it falls apart. Such a great devo!
thank you