Grow In The Dark

Happy Sunday to you all and welcome back to My Journalism Diary!

Today I’d like to talk to you about the powerful message that was preached today at the Sheffield Christian Life Centre by brother Luke, who is an associate leader at the church.

The message was entitled The Testing of Time, a message that I believe can apply to everyone including myself because we all go through seasons in which we face battles and challenges whether it be a build up of little things or one, big, on-going trial like I don’t know, being in a car accident?

Brother Luke began his sermon by presenting us with a rather unusual demonstration. He brought out a curl bar with some weights on it, not too many, and called up a volunteer to lift the curl bar a few times. After the volunteer succeeded, brother Luke then added more weights to the bar and asked the volunteer to do the same again which he also succeeded with. Luke then asked the volunteer if he would prefer to carry the lighter bar for a whole week or the heavier curl bar for one day, which was the option he obviously chose.

The point Luke was trying to make with this demonstration was that sometimes, it can be a lot harder carrying a smaller problem with you everywhere you go than it is to deal with a bigger problem that will only last a short period of time.

Psalms 10:1 says “Why Lord, do you stand far off? Why do you hide in times of trouble?” I’ll be honest in saying that as a Christian, of course I face challenges, some that last longer than others and sometimes I find myself asking God where he is when I need him. It’s a place that most Christians would find themselves in at some point during their walk with Christ, we’re all human so it’s understandable to start questioning if God is really there for us. Now this is the test of time.

The obvious temptation at this point is to just throw in the towel and give in but as people and especially as Christians, we all need a little bit of faith. The bible says ‘You can’t please God without faith’ which is only too true. On top of that, voices in your head will be telling you that you CAN’T do it when the truth is with God, you CAN do and break-through ANYTHING.

What is faith? Faith is seeing when you cant see and holding on to the truth in your time of darkness because it is in your darkest and most testing times that what you ‘see’ and truly believe in, comes out.

Psalm 25:5 talks more about holding on to God and says “Lead me in your truth and teach me, For you are the God of my salvation; On You I wait all the day.”

Staying with God when you are at your weakest point and want to walk away is also so important. No one ever said being a Christian is easy, sometimes the challenges become too much, sometimes we sin and feel as if we are in too dark a place to make any progress. But I assure you that just like a seed can grow underground in the darkness, we also have the ability to grow in the dark, we just need to be watered with faith.

I hope this story encourages and motivates people to chase their dreams and to really hold on to God. The way I’m seeing him turn my situation around, he can definitely do the same with you.