I Was Afraid Of The Dark…But

By Taylor Rogers

I was afraid of the dark as a kid. Even now as an adult I don’t like it.

The dark is lonely. It feels hopeless. It’s easy to imagine things lurking in the dark. Bad things. Evil things. Things that want to overcome you.

…And then my dad would come in and turn on the light and everything was alright.

As adults the scary darkness we face usually isn’t literal. It’s not ghosts or monsters, it’s things like depression, job loss, an unexpected diagnosis, bills it seems like will never be paid off, world events–the list could go on forever.

And it can feel just as lonely. Just as hopeless. Just as evil. Just as able to overcome you.

But thankfully our Heavenly Father came to earth to turn on the light.

John 8:12 says “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’.”

Friend, I don’t know what you are dealing with, reading this today, but I pray you find hope and comfort in the verse above. Hold tight to that promise and let it guide you through the darkness.

Jesus never promised life would be easy for us. In fact, sometimes it seems like some of the kindest, gentlest souls I know are the ones whose life seems to be hit the hardest. But the key thing I want you to remember is that He promised that we would never go through it alone.

Isaiah 41:10 reads “Do not be afraid, for I am with you. Do not be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.”

When the darkness feels like it is winning, remember who is fighting beside you.

I also want to urge each and every one of you reading this to have the courage and the empathy to fight the darkness together. 

When you are going through something hard, it is easy to isolate yourself and feel like you have to handle it all alone. Share your burdens with the Lord, but also have the courage to share them with trusted friends and confidants. Nothing is as scary when you have friends beside you. Let them help light the way.

It is also easy in the divisive, chaotic landscape of life in 2024 to judge each other’s journeys. It is easy to presume we understand who they are or what they’re about. But we truly do not know the darkness someone might be facing when we encounter them during our day-to-day. Have the empathy to be a light to them. Extend a helping hand, share a kind word or a smile. A small gesture can make all the difference in someone’s story.

I truly believe one of the most Christlike things we can do and a huge part of our purpose on this earth is to be a light in the darkness. 

I attended a concert where the performer had the stadium turn off all the lights. It was unsettling, unexpectedly being put into the dark. He then asked every single person attending to turn on the flashlight on their phone and hold it up. Suddenly the stadium was filled with almost as much light as the stage lights had been providing. And his point was that each of our lights alone were small, but when we all came together, we lit the whole place up.

So, my challenge to you this week is to look for ways to be a light. 

Whatever way you find to be a light doesn’t have to be big, but imagine the big impact we can have if we’re all working to light this world together.

Taylor Rogers lives in a small town in North Carolina surrounded by family and friends. She believes in living with heart and intention and lifting those around her up. When she is not climbing the corporate ladder, you can find her chasing her dreams—running her small bridal shop, Chapel Market, writing, and traveling. Follow along @tay_rogers_13