Pushing back the dark

We are at war. No, I'm not taking about any physical war, though there are those being waged in the world. I am referring to a great spiritual battle in which we are presently engaged. We are fighting psychological battles - battles of the mind - and our opponent is lethal. More and more, I hear of Christians struggling with some major issues. Depression, anxiety, suicide, self-harm, divorce, abortion, guilt, shame... the list goes on. These are obviously not of the Father, so why then, as children of God, do we so often struggle with these problems? We are meant to be the light of the world, but it is very hard to be the light when we feel surrounded by darkness. 

For some Christians, the sin of the world can be overwhelming. We start to wonder why we even bother. What's the point? Why should we keep fighting when it seems that the enemy is only getting stronger? I'm going to be honest, it's exhausting. My own personal struggle with anxiety is a daily battle. One in which I have to take control of my mind every morning and remind myself that God is in control and I am not. 

Christians are overwhelmed and exhausted. Instead of passion and joy, we feel downtrodden and discouraged. We are failing at our relationships, our jobs, our home lives, at school, with friends, etc. Doubt and fear creep in. Satan, the destroyer, waits in the shadows for these moments of vulnerability and when we show the smallest ounce of weakness, he attacks with a vengeance. 

Is there no hope? Where is our Savior? Why hasn't Christ come riding in on the white horse to save us from this fallen world? Why does God feel so far away? Why do we so often feel our prayers fall on deafened ears? Why are we not getting answers to our desperate pleas for help?

I truly believe that one of our biggest problems is that we have put God into a box. We have made God small. We have tried to hard to understand His vastness that we have, in a   sense, dumbed Him down. We see God with our human scales over our eyes. We speak of God in human terms. 

I cannot comprehend God. I do not know why there is suffering in the world. I do not understand why I deal with so much anxiety every day. I can't tell you why a five-year-old boy gets brain cancer and dies. I have no answers as to why people murder or steal or destroy. I do not understand how one man can look another man in the eye and pull the trigger that ends his life. This all cannot be part of God's plan, right? After all, a loving God would never allow one of His children to get sick with Ebola in a country where He called that person to serve. That just is not fair. 

This world is dark. The future looks bleak. Often, there is little cause for hope. But regardless of how we view the world, we must still remember that we carry within us the Light of Christ. We need to stop focusing so much on the darkness and the sense of purposelessness. With every small act of good, we push back the dark. With every kind deed, we push back the dark. Whenever we help someone up, we push back the dark. Every step forward, no matter how small, is pushing back the darkness. 

There is a quote in one of my all-time favorite movie series, The Lord of the Rings. In the second movie of the trilogy, The Two Towers, Sam and Frodo are immersed in a terribly bleak situation. There is so much evil surrounding them, and Frodo begins to lose hope. He forgets why he even accepted the quest in the first place. This clip, when taken out of the secular context and put into the Christian context, is exceptionally powerful. 

There is good still in this world. There is still hope and love and joy and happiness. There are still selfless people willing to give of themselves for others. There is still so much that is worth fighting for. The darkness cannot linger forever. Darkness is not eternal. Light is eternal. Love wins, and one day, hate will be destroyed forever. Depression will be destroyed forever. Anxiety and fear will be destroyed forever. They cannot linger because they are of the devil, and he is not eternal. He can and will be destroyed. 

Don't ever give up. Even when your circumstances are overwhelming. Even when you feel so hopeless you almost can't breathe, do not give up. The pain and suffering cannot last forever. If by one deed you can make the world a better place, by all means do the deed. If you can somehow in some way make someone a better person, no matter how hard it may be, help that person. 

This is the only way we can find true fulfillment. By overlooking your circumstances and continuing to fight the good fight, you are bringing glory to God and death to evil. When you feel too tired and too overwhelmed to carry on, rest in His Spirit. Refresh your mind. You are not alone in this fight! We have the all powerful God on our side. He has not abandoned us to a futile war. He is before, behind and beside us every step of the way. Even when He feels so far away, keep fighting. Keep pushing back the dark. Don't lose heart and don't lose hope. Keep searching for Him. Keep praying to Him. Keep loving Him. 

We cannot win this fight alone. The fight may not even be won in our lifetime, but it will be won. God wins. If we live in God, we will win. So put one foot in front of the other. When you feel yourself surrounded by darkness, let the light of Christ that dwells in you shine all the stronger. You can make it through, and you WILL make it through. Little by little, keep pushing back the dark.