When The Darkness Of The World Feels Overwhelming

His light defeats the world’s darkness.

My favorite way to decorate my home revolves around lights. Twinkle lights smile at me from above my kitchen cabinets, Scentsy warmers adorn various corners, and a bouquet of lights takes center stage in my dining room. For me these lights create a cozy and comforting ambiance.

A four-part study conducted in 2015 noted a relationship between light and hope. This study found hopeless people tend to perceive their surroundings as dark, causing them to create a brighter environment by using higher wattage light bulbs. The reverse also proved true; a dimmer room increased feelings of hopelessness.

Honesty, our culture makes many connections between light and hope. Consider the phrase, “There’s always light at the end of the tunnel.” Some scholars believe this phrase originated as a proverb in 1922. Originally, the proverb meant we should always cling to hope, because happiness follows every long period of despair. 

Another example can be found near our oceans. Originally created to shine the way home for sailors during a storm, we lovingly refer to lighthouses as “beacons of hope”. 

Light as a symbol of hope has Biblical roots as well. The Bible first mentions light as part of the creation story. In fact, God created light before anything else:

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.
And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. (Genesis 1:1-4 NIV)

Imagine the earth before light. The Bible describes it as formless, empty and dark. With four simple words, God powerfully changed the landscape and brought light into the world.

In the New Testament, we find another reference to both the creation and light:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. (John 1:1-5 NIV)

It amazes me to realize Jesus, as part of the Trinity, created the world. (Genesis 1:26) Just as God changed the landscape of the world by creating light, Jesus changes our personal landscapes because He is the light of the world. (John 8:12)

Lately I’ve seen memes and comments on social media from so many people who point out the current darkness of our world. It can be so overwhelming, and I found myself wanting to pull away from anything that reminds me of the darkness around us.

But then I remembered. God separated the light from the darkness. When I follow Jesus, the darkness of this world will never overcome His light. He is the true light at the end of the tunnel. And His light shines the way to our eternal home. 

The Bible is key to following the light of Jesus. As an eyewitness to the ministry of Jesus, the Apostle Peter reminds us of the reliability of the Scriptures:  

We also have the prophetic message as something completely reliable, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. (2 Peter 1:19 NIV)

Sometimes I do take a break from the noise of the world, so I can recharge myself with the light of the Scriptures. So I can remember the One I follow will never be covered in darkness. So I can then become a light for someone else:

“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:14-16 NIV)

Wherever the road leads us, I pray we can find hope in remembering the One whose light can never be extinguished and who always shines our way home.