Christmas: “A Light for Dark Days”
One of my favorite activities during this season is driving around to look at all the Christmas lights. Although the day after Thanksgiving is the official start for these lights to go up, somehow the shopping malls and stores never got the message — or they discarded it because they don’t want to miss out on selling you something before anyone else does.
When I owned my retail stores, there was an unspoken rule that you couldn’t put up your Christmas lights and displays until after Thanksgiving. Now, it seems like Christmas begins right after Halloween.
But the lights of Christmas are more than just decorations. They symbolize a much greater light, one that dispels darkness. We could say that “It’s a light for our dark days.”
It’s interesting that today, December 21st, is the longest night of the year. Therefore, Christmas occurs during the darkest time, and in a way, Christmas breaks through the darkness with its light. Christmas dispels the darkness.
If we go back to the very first Christmas, it too was invaded by light. As the shepherds were out watching their flocks by night, the angels appeared and displayed a dazzling light show, as it says the glory of the Lord shone around them, announcing that Jesus, the light of the world, had been born. It was a light display that shook the shepherds’ world.
In fact, light is mentioned throughout the Bible. It was into darkness that God called light to shine, saying, “Let there be light,” (Genesis 1:3). We’re also told that “God is light, in Him there is no darkness,” (1 John 1:5). And Jesus said, “I am the light of the world,” (John 8:12).
Jesus went on to say, “I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness.” (John 12:46 NKJV)
And why this is important is that we all have dark days. We all know them; it’s when we don’t want to get out of bed. It’s when we don’t want to face the world because of everything going on in our lives or because we think it’s not worth the effort.
Today, I want to explore what the light of Christmas —Jesus Christ —can do for our dark days. There are four specific areas of darkness I want to address. They are what I call my dreaded “D” collection: the dark days of disappointment, distress, doubt, and depression. (And Dennis isn’t one of them!)
And then I’d like to look at how Jesus, the light of Christmas, guides us through these dark days and helps us during these times.
Dark Days of Disappointment
When I think of days like these, Job comes to mind.
Job said, “When I looked for good, evil came to me; and when I waited for light, then came darkness.” (Job 30:26 NKJV)
Many of us have felt the same way. It’s when we hope for one thing, but when it doesn’t happen, we feel disappointed.
It’s when we hope for health for ourselves and our loved ones, only to be hit with sickness and disease. It’s when we hope for a raise, only to face a reduction in hours. It’s when we hope nothing bad happens, only to discover our car needs major repairs.
When we think about it, life is full of disappointments. Things don’t always turn out the way we expect. The presents we receive for Christmas aren’t always what we imagined. One boy saw a round package and thought he was getting a basketball, only to open it on Christmas Day and find a globe.
Mary likely also felt some disappointment. She's told she would deliver the Messiah, God’s Son, but then learns she must travel 70 miles over rough terrain and give birth in a stable filled with animals and their smells.
And so, we all go through dark days of disappointment.
Dark Days of Distress
This is when we feel overwhelmed, stressed out, stretched to the limit, and frustrated beyond measure. It’s when we have too much to do and not enough time or energy to get it all done.
Mary also felt a little distressed. She’s nine months pregnant and had to ride a donkey from Nazareth to Bethlehem. That’s stressful, and then she has the baby alone in a stable. Yes, Joseph was with her, but, as most women readily admit, when their husbands are in the delivery room, they seem to add to the stress.
The prophet Jeremiah, also called the weeping prophet, describes Jerusalem's suffering.
“Lord, see my anguish! My heart is broken and my soul despairs, for I have rebelled against you. In the streets the sword kills, and at home there is only death.” (Lamentations 1:20 NLT)
Many of you are going through these dark days of distress.
Maybe it’s financial stress, like having too much month left at the end of your money. One man went to his bank and said, “I’m having trouble with your easy payment plan. Do you have another one?”
Maybe you’re physically stressed. This is when your getty-up got up and went without you. It’s when you have no energy and don’t feel like doing anything except sitting on the couch, eating bonbons while binge-watching TV.
Maybe your relationships are adding to your stress. Your marriage isn’t going well, and your connections with family and friends aren’t much better.
And so, besides going through dark days of disappointment, you’re also experiencing dark days of distress.
Dark Days of Doubt
Jesus said, “The man who walks in the dark does not know where he is going.” (John 12:35c NIV)
This is where we find ourselves drifting without a clear objective or goal.
Reflecting on your past brings feelings of disappointment. Considering your present causes stress and anxiety.
Looking ahead to the future, doubts and worries often take hold. Will the economy improve? Will we have a job next month? What will these medical tests show? Is this disease terminal? Where am I headed?
These are the dark days of doubt. And once disappointment sets in, bringing distress and doubt, these lead to the last of the dreaded “Ds,” and that is, depression.
Dark Days of Depression
These are days when everything feels like it's falling apart around you, and you feel like quitting, thinking, “What’s the use in trying?”
It’s where the light has gone out. Going back to Jeremiah, he said, “I remember my affliction and my wandering, the bitterness and the gall. I well remember them, and my soul is downcast within me.” (Lamentations 3:19-20 NIV)
This statement about one’s soul being downcast, as we read in the Bible, is nothing less than depression.
Some of you have faced a tough crisis this past year. It might have been a divorce, the death of a loved one, a defeat, losing a job, or battling a serious illness. In fact, there’s often nothing truly joyful about the holidays; instead, it feels more like Elvis Presley’s “Blue Christmas.” It’s a time when the holidays tend to deepen the pain rather than bring joy.
It’s similar to how David felt when he said to the Lord, “You have taken my companions and loved ones from me; the darkness is my closest friend.” (Psalm 88:18 NIV)
Now, I’m not trying to bring anyone down, but the reality is that this is a reality. However, the reality is also that God cares. He cares about us because we matter to Him.
When we are facing dark days, we should stop dwelling on problems and difficulties and instead turn to the Lord to receive His light. In one of David’s songs of praise, he said, “For You are my lamp, O Lord; the Lord shall enlighten my darkness.” (2 Samuel 22:29 NKJV)
That’s what the Christmas light, Jesus Christ, does. He came to light up our dark days. But how does He do it?
He Encourages Us
“The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves such as have a contrite spirit.” (Psalm 34:18 NKJV)
For those with broken hearts and crushed spirits, know that the Lord is near. Knowing this offers encouragement because, during trials and tribulations, we often feel as if God is in some distant galaxy.
But God is near and always with us, even when it doesn’t seem like it. And He promises He will never leave us nor forsake us (Hebrews 13:5).
This is what Christmas is all about: God with us. In fact, that is the title of the Messiah.
The prophecy reads, “‘Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,’ which is translated, ‘God with us.’” (Matthew 1:23 NKJV)
God also encourages us by helping us realize that He has a plan and purpose for our lives, that we don’t have to drift aimlessly, but that He has a grand design in mind for each of us.
“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.” (Jeremiah 29:11 NKJV)
God uses disappointments to get our attention. And while we experience pain and sorrow, God’s plan and purpose for these disappointments are much greater than the disappointments themselves.
This is why the Apostle Paul could say that God works all things together for good (Romans 8:28).
He Strengthens Us
“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:13 NKJV)
On our own, we are not strong enough or capable of handling these dreaded “Ds.” But Jesus gives us the strength and makes us capable. No matter what comes our way, Jesus will provide us with the power and strength to not only face our troubles but also overcome them.
It’s when things look darkest that the light of Christmas, Jesus Christ, comes in and shines the brightest.
To the Apostle Paul, Jesus said, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:9 NKJV)
He Guides Us
“I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” (John 8:12 NKJV)
Whatever worries us, keeps us awake at night, or churns our stomachs, Jesus gives us the light to set it right.
We all have decisions to make in life. But we should not make them based on our feelings, because our feelings can deceive us.
There is a spirit loose in today’s churches. It’s the spirit of offense. It’s where Christians get offended at just about anything and everything, not to mention anyone and everyone. And what happens is that they make decisions about the church based on real or supposed offenses.
So where should we turn when facing decisions? We need to turn to the light found in God’s word. The Bible is a trustworthy guide for making decisions.
“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” (Psalm 119:105 NKJV)
God’s word, the Bible, is a trustworthy guide that keeps us from stumbling in the darkness.
He Changes Us
God loves us just as we are, and He loves us so much that He doesn’t want us to stay that way. He desires to transform us into the image of His Son, Jesus Christ, so that we can conquer the darkness of the dreaded “Ds.”
“Everything exposed by the light becomes visible, for it is light that makes everything visible. This is why it is said: ‘Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.’” (Ephesians 5:13-14 NIV)
Paul is saying, “Quit living in the darkness; turn on the light. Allow Jesus Christ to shine His light into those dark areas of your life that you don’t want anyone to see or know about. Let Jesus come into these dark areas and change you. Ask Him to shine His light and show you where you are falling short so you can confess your sins, repent, and begin that transformational process.”
Conclusion
This Christmas, you might feel a little overwhelmed. Maybe you’re going through one of these dark days filled with disappointment, distress, doubt, or depression. Or perhaps all of them happen at once. The good news, however, is that because of Christmas and Jesus’s coming, darkness doesn’t have to be the end. Instead, the light of Jesus Christ destroys and pushes back the darkness.
When considering the star the wise men saw, something is often overlooked. It says they followed it. I’m sure many other people saw the same star, but did nothing about it. Even those scribes and Pharisees who heard about it from the wise men didn’t go check it out.
You see, it’s one thing to know about the light; it’s another thing to follow it. It’s one thing to know about the path; it’s an entirely different thing to follow it. I guess what I’m getting at is that it all comes down to obedience and a choice.
We have a choice to make this Christmas.
Are we going to stay in the dark days? Yes, they exist, but do we choose to stay there? Will we opt for darkness or for the light? Are we going to have a blue Christmas, or a “Fa la la” Christmas?
We make the choice. Are we going to have joy on the most joyous day of the year, or are we going to be miserable?
Let me encourage you: choose joy. Ask the Light of Christmas, Jesus Christ, to dispel this darkness of despair, and let Him replace it with His joy and His light.
This is what Christmas is all about: bringing those in darkness into the light of Jesus Christ.
