How have you been feeling lately? Does it seem like you have a decreased amount of energy? Do you feel fatigued? Have you been craving sugar and eating more than usual? In the last two months have you had difficulty getting out of bed in the morning? Are you sleeping more than usual, been less productive, and more irritable?
If you answered “yes” to most of those questions you may have S.A.D.? What is S.A.D.? Those three letters are an acronym for Seasonal Affective Disorder. It is a mild to severe depression that affects millions of people each fall and winter. In laymen’s terms we might call it the “winter blues.”
Seasonal Affective Disorder (S.A.D.) is caused by a lack of exposure to sunlight, which in turn alters a person’s brain chemistry. During the fall and winter months when the hours of daylight are shorter, less light passes through the eyes which then inhibits the release of an important brain chemical, serotonin. When serotonin is not released in sufficient quantities, symptoms of depression may occur. Melatonin, another important brain chemical which regulates our sleep cycle, is released in greater quantities, adding to the depressive state.
How is Seasonal Affective Disorder (S.A.D.) treated? The standard treatment for this disorder is “light” therapy. In fact, it is the primary treatment recommended by the American Medical Association and the American Psychiatric Association, and it is also backed by extensive medical research through the prestigious National Institute of Mental Health. The principal behind light therapy is that by increasing a person’s exposure to bright light, the chemicals in a person’s brain can be brought back to normal levels and lessen or remove the symptoms of S.A.D. The advantages of light therapy are that it is simple to administer, requires no medication, and has minimal side effects.
Although (S.A.D.) only affects a few of us, about 1 in 5 people, there is a similar spiritual disease that affects all of us. Let’s call it Spiritual Affective Disorder. At times our spiritual life may enter a season of sleepiness. We may become lethargic in our love for God and unproductive in our life of service to him. We may be drawn into the darkness of sin and the evil deeds that go with that darkness. In turn our lives are not what they could be.
This Spiritual Affective Disorder happens when we leave God’s light—his love, and truth, and merciful presence. But there is a sure cure. When we return to God’s light the symptoms of spiritual darkness are dispersed. Let’s take to heart the encouragement of these verses from 1 John 1:5-10 (Read text.) May the Holy Spirit lead you to:
“LIVE YOUR LIFE IN GOD’S LIGHT”
I. Let Him shine in you
II. Let Him shine on you
III. Let Him shine through you
In this inspired letter the disciple whom Jesus loved tells us about God’s love and the impact of that love on the life of a believer. Another word picture John used in both his gospel and his letter is that of light. In his gospel John quotes Jesus several times as he referred to himself as the Light of the world. Here in his first letter John continues his use of the image of light as salvation, and holiness, and the presence and essence of God.
When John wrote his letter there were false teachers in the church who were saying that a person can have the light of God and still live in the darkness of sin. John makes it clear that this is utter foolishness. A person who loves the Light won’t live in the darkness of sin. Those who talk the talk of having fellowship with God won’t walk the walk of having fellowship with darkness.
I.
When a person is diagnosed with Seasonal Affective Disorder they are treated with light. It is a simple cure. The treatment for spiritual affective disorder is also light. We do not need more of the physical light we see around us coming from a bulb or the sun to treat our spiritual sickness. We need God’s light. He must shine in us.
The very first statement that John makes about God being light penetrates our soul like a bolt of lightening. “This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.” We can quickly see the extent of the spiritual problem we face. If you will pardon the play on words the difference between us and God in relation to light is like night and day. He is absolutely holy. In that sense he “lives in unapproachable light.” We obviously are not holy and therefore cannot approach him.
So what will happen when we let God shine in us? His light therapy will reveal the root cause of our spiritual affective disorder. The light of his LAW shows us how much darkness lurks within us. John pointed out how darkness can creep into the life of a believer. “If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth.” How can that happen to us? How can we claim to have fellowship with the Light and yet walk in the darkness of sin? Another name for it is hypocrisy. We claim to be a Christian. We claim to love God and we even claim membership in a church. But the life we live doesn’t go along with the claims we make. Does someone who claims to love the Lord Jesus continue to use his name to curse and swear? Will those who claim to walk in fellowship with the Giver of life show disrespect for the gift of life? How can those who claim to be clothed with Christ soil themselves with greed, and hatred, and lust, and gossip, and slander? Can those who claim to be the Bride of Christ dishonor him by breaking their earthly marriage vows or by living a loveless life toward the spouse to whom they are united? John gives a clear answer to all those questions. No! We can’t claim fellowship with the Light and continue to walk in the darkness. If we are doing that we need God’s light to shine in us.
Perhaps our spiritual affective disorder shows itself in another way. We have becomes so fooled by the darkness of sin that we think things are fine between us and God just the way we are. “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.” If we can’t see the darkness in us we have been duped and are living like fools. John went on to write, “If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.” If we run from God’s light and claim to be okay with him we are calling him a liar. Do you see why we need God to shine in us? The brightness of his purity and perfection must penetrate the power of darkness that lurks in us so that we can live our lives in his light.
Perhaps you have heard the story about the scorpion and the turtle. A scorpion was waiting on the bank of a river unable to cross. Along came a turtle who was about to swim across the river. “Please give me a ride across the river,” said the scorpion. “No way. You will sting me and I will drown,” the turtle responded. “Why would I do that?” the scorpion asked. “If I did we would both drown in the river.” “I guess you are right,” said the turtle. “Go ahead and jump on my back. I’ll carry you across the river.” When the turtle was half way across the river the scorpion stung him on the neck. “Why did you do that?”, asked the turtle in shock. “Now we are both going to drown in the river!” “I couldn’t help myself,” said the scorpion, “I am a scorpion and stinging is what I do.” We could compare our sinful nature to that scorpion. No matter how hard we try not to, we are drawn to sin. In fact we are sin through and through. That’s what we do! We naturally want to walk in the darkness. That is why we need God to shine in us with his light constantly.
We need what Psalm 90:8 declares, “You have set our iniquities before you, our secret sins in the light of your presence.” Every nook and cranny of our heart must be exposed to the Light. No pet sin can be left covered. No darkness can be sheltered.
Look inside your heart? Where don’t you want the light of God to shine? Is there an addiction to drugs, alcohol, or pornography? Is there hatred, or resentment, or hard feelings toward someone? Friends, let the holiness of God shine in you!
Here is one way to do it. Some time in the near future sit down with a Bible and turn to Exodus 20. Look at your life in comparison to the commands of God. It is going to hurt like the stinging in your eyes when someone flips on a light and wakes you up in the middle of the night. But just as we need the light to wake up and walk safely so we also need God’s light. If we are going to walk in the light and live our lives in God’s light we need him to shine in us.
II.
But our light therapy can’t stop there. Not only must God shine in us we also need him to shine on us to control our spiritual affective disorder. John went on to describe this part of our spiritual light therapy. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” When God, who is Light, shines on us a change takes place. His forgiveness scatters the darkness of sin. His light purifies us and makes us sons and daughters of the light.
Let’s take a moment to look more closely at what John wrote about God’s light therapy. Why does he connect our confession of our sins to God’s forgiving and purifying us? Perhaps you could picture it this way. By confessing our sins we are throwing open our heart and soul to God’s light. In other words, we aren’t trying to shut him out. Jesus encouraged us not to hide from the light in John 12:35-36, “Walk while you have the light, before darkness overtakes you. The man who walks in the dark does not know where he is going. Put your trust in the light while you have it, so that you may become sons of light.” Don’t hide from the light. Let God shine on you. Two verses from Psalm 119 describe how God’s light shines on us, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.” “The unfolding of your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple.” God’s Word is the light that holds the cure for our spiritual affective disorder.
If we refuse to let God shine on us we will remain in the darkness of sin and continue to walk in that darkness every day. Jesus gave this stern warning in John 3:19-20, “Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.” The only cure for our love affair with the darkness of sin is God’s light. He must shine on us. Ephesians 5:13-14 speaks of this, “But 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.’”
Years ago a man was driving through a part of our country where a lot of mining was done. It happened to be a Sunday and he noticed a large number of mules in an open field. When he asked some of the local people about this unusual sight, he was told that the work animals had been brought up from the darkness of the mines to preserve their eyesight. Unless they were regularly exposed to the sunlight, they would eventually go blind.
The Christian needs similar exposure to the light to keep him from losing his spiritual vision and his ability to walk in God’s commands. Through his Word we need God to shine in us and on us to keep us from going blind and remaining in the darkness forever. That is why I encourage you to live your life in God’s light through his Word and Sacraments
III.
People who receive light therapy as treatment for their Seasonal Affective Disorder usually experience a dramatic change in their quality of life. One of the companies that manufactures the lights for treating S.A.D. published these testimonials from their satisfied customers. One man wrote, “I feel like a new person…Like the person I’ve always been but could not find through that horrible fog of depression…I’ve gotten more accomplished…I’m excited to get up in the morning. I want to see people again…This light is like a miracle in my life.” Another person wrote, “I am so pleased with this light…Life is worth living now…I have more energy…I have a better outlook on life.” Someone else wrote, “I purchased a light from you…Things are going great…I love the light.” Obviously light therapy makes a huge difference to someone suffering from Seasonal Affective Disorder. (S.A.D.) When a person recovers from it the change can be seen in the way they live their life.
When God shines on our spiritual affective disorder—the darkness of sin in us—we are given a new life. John tells us how things change when we live our lives in God’s light. “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.” Things change when we receive God’s light therapy. With his light shining in us and on us his light will shine through us. We have fellowship with God and our brothers and sisters in the faith. We stand before God purified of all sin ready to serve him with a pure life.
Listen to other passages of Scripture which describe the change that occurs in us when we live in God’s light. Jesus said in John 8:12, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” And in John 12:46, “I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.” God’s plan for us is to live our life in his light and not in the darkness of sin.
And what happens when we live our lives in God’s light? His light shines through us. Jesus said in Matthew 5:16, “In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” God’s light doesn’t just stay in us or on us it shines through us for others to see. So what is it going to take to make us shine with God’s light? We need his light therapy. He must shine brightly in us and on us so that he shines through us. Let Bible passages like these be your source of light: Romans 13:12, “So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.” 1 Thessalonians 5:5, “You are all sons of the light and sons of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness.” Ephesians 5:8-11, “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth).”
S.A.D. Light and sunshine are the cure for Seasonal Affective Disorder. Living our lives in God’s light is the cure for our spiritual affective disorder. God invites us to come into his light! Let’s bask in it and soak it in. It will change our lives. Let him shines in you, and on you, and through you. Amen.
