Darkness Will Not Last

When I clean my house, I only use all-natural cleaners. Now, before you start thinking how earth-conscious I am (although that is a great reason to use natural cleaners), there’s a deeper reason. When I was about four years old, my baby sister got into a cabinet and put a cap of the skull-and-crossbones kind of cleaner into her mouth. Even though I was young, I clearly remember riding in my dad’s car behind the ambulance and praying, “God, please don’t let my sissy die!â€

Thankfully, my sister is just fine today. But this experience left an imprint on my soul: a fear of cleaning chemicals. For years, I wondered why I had anxiety when I helped someone clean their house with different products. When my kids were babies, I was super-vigilant and called the poison control number several times, none of which resulted in anything dangerous. Now, it makes sense.

We all have habits that we default to, even ones that may not seem rational. Sometimes, we can look back in our past and find the “trigger†where these behaviors started to form, while others may be buried deep in our souls and take some digging to uncover. Why does our younger sibling’s whining set us on edge? Why do we have a compulsion to make sure our hair is just perfect? Why do we have extreme anxiety when we are running late? Whatever your “default†is, there may be an underlying reason lurking in your past.

This can start to feel overwhelming, but there is so much hope. If you are God’s child, you are imprinted in a different way. You have His imprint on your heart and soul, reminding you that you are His forever (John 10:28-29; Ephesians 1:13; 1 John 3:1). God promises that in Christ, you are a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17). He will complete the work He began in you until the day He comes again (Philippians 1:6). You have the power of the Holy Spirit, who comforts you, teaches you, and reminds you of everything Jesus has said (John 14:26). You can tell your heart that you are not just a product of your past. You are imprinted by the God of the universe who made you in His image (Genesis 1:27). • Savannah Coleman

• How can we extend patience to others when they get stressed by things that don’t make sense to us?

• Have you ever had a knee-jerk reaction of anxiety, anger, fear, etc.? It feels so frustrating when you don’t know the cause behind your reaction. And sometimes, it’s even more frustrating when you do know the reason for your “trigger,†but you can’t seem to change your reaction. The scars from our past or the pain we have buried deep within us can leave us feeling helpless. But in Jesus, we have hope that He can heal our brokenness. And He can do that through His Spirit living in us, the truth found in His Word, and the love of His people. He has also equipped counselors and therapists to help people heal from past hurts. If you feel ready, you can take some time with Jesus to explore past hurts, knowing that He is even now transforming you more into His image (Romans 8:28-29).

• If you’ve noticed patterns of fear or anxiety in your life, and you need someone to talk to, you can set up an appointment for a one-time complimentary phone consultation with a Christian counselor through the Focus on the Family Counseling Service. In the United States, call 1-855-771-HELP (4357) weekdays 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. (Mountain Time) to set up an appointment. In Canada, book your appointment by calling 1-800-661-9800 between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. (Pacific Time) and ask to speak with the care associate.

And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. 2 Corinthians 3:18 (NIV)

Read Verses:

Acts.16.16-Acts.16.26|Rom.8.31-Rom.8.39|Isa.40.31