Who Turned Out the Lights?

Who Turned Out the Lights?

Adapted from my new book that I'm writing

Sometimes we will all go through dark times. These manly be based in life event, delays, consequences of negative actions and so on. Dark times are described by the the most famous psalm and one of the most famous verses within it:

Psalm 23:4:Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

The valleys we all experience will be different for each of us, indeed a valley for one may be a mountaintop for someone else! Sometimes these valleys of darkness are to do with our perspective and position in life (I'm not talking here about anxiety or depression).

Here are some things I have learnt through the valley's I have walked through over the years.

1. Remember to Keep Moving:

There is an action in the valley, walking! 

David says he walks through the valley of the shadow of death. It's not a destination, even if it ends with physical death or death of something else in your life, the promises in Scripture tell you that victory is yours:

1 Corinthians 15:55: "Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?"

Keep moving! It is entirely possible to have a valley experience in one area of your life, yet be blossoming in another area at the same time. 

When Barbie was housebound for months after her fall, she was physically a wreck. She couldn't do the simplest things for herself. Spiritually she was a giant. Her fervour and love for the Lord came to the fore, even though she was in a valley. 

The verse given to me at my baptism constantly reminded me of God's hand in my life:

Romans 8:28: "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." 

Sometimes people will quote this verse tritely at those walking through a valley of darkness. They say it with no understanding of the pain or anguish that a person is experiencing. I can recall praying this verse with tears in my own private devotions, holding on by my fingernails at any hope and light there might be. 

It kept me walking, moving forward. Sometimes the death-like place can be over in a few days or weeks. Sometimes they last months and even years. 

Keep moving! 

2. Remember The Light Is Still Shining: 

Shadows exist. They only exist because of the light that hits an object. 

The valley of the shadow of death is actually an object, a thing or a circumstance, that comes between you and the Light. 

The brighter the light the darker a shadow appears to be. That means the closer you get to the Lord the darker a shadow will appear. It doesn't mean that the object doesn't exist but that you have come to love His light so much in your life that any interruption to it is an anathema to you.  

A large shadow can be cast by a relatively small object too. The more you grow in your Christian walk, the more even small interruptions to your free flowing relationship with Jesus will bother you. 

Shadows can lie - shadow puppets, the size of the hands do not change. The size of the thing casting a shadow in your valley does not change, just the shadow grows. 

Because light is blocked out, shadowy places are often cold places too. It can feel spiritually cold in the valley. Do not let the cold of the valley stop your belief in the warmth of the light.

If there's a shadow in you life, allow the Holy Spirit to reveal what is actually casting that image on your valley wall and begin to deal with it.

3. Remember to forgive, yourself, others:

Forgiveness is one of the most powerful tools in the Christian's arsenal. 

When you find yourself in the valley of the shadow of death you my have to live through the consequences of the actions you have committed or live with the result of what had been done to you by others. 

You do not have to live with the emotional pain though. Forgiveness is the key. 

When an arsonist left me homeless I had to forgive, and quickly! I would spend time day dreaming about confronting the person responsible and how I would mete out my own form of justice.  That kind of thinking just ensnares you, keeps you as a victim for longer than you need to be. 

Was it alright to be angry. Yes. Anger is normal. The problem arises when anger leads to sin.

Psalm 4:4: In your anger do not sin; when you are on your beds, search your hearts and be silent. Selah

Ephesians 4:26: "In your anger do not sin" : Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry,

I discovered as a head strong fifteen year old, was to keep short accounts against people that sinned against me.

When you're walking though the valley of the shadow of death, minor things can easily become major things. Issues and comments that you would normally shrug off can fester in the shadows of the valley walls into something monstrous that overtakes your life. 

Forgive. Do it now, do it quickly. 

4. Remember to Learn the Lesson

There's a train of thought that exists that's says that the tough time you're going though is something that God wants to use to help others. 

On the face of it this is true. Certainly there should be an increased baseline of compassion and a desire to help those who go through similar circumstances. The Christian knows that they are not here just for their own self-promotion and betterment. 

They know what part of this life is serving others as Christ has served them, setting them an example (John 13:1-17) It's about towels not titles. 

Not every experience in life will be used by God to help others, not every miracle will led to a ministry, not every calling will lead to a destiny.

To be of help to others the lessons of the valley of the shadow of death need to be learned. The mistake, if there was one, that put the Christian in the darkness of the valley must never be repeated. Perhaps there is a cycle that keeps repeating taking you back to the dimness of valley; that cycle needs to be broken. 

Sometimes an experience's only purpose is to soften you, to bring compassion and a deeper dependence on God. 

5. Remember to Celebrate Someone Else's Win:

One of the most irritable things I found about being in the valley of the shadow of death was that other people around me, good Christians, seemed to be capable of going on with their lives and being blessed by God in the area where I was struggling. 

I can recall a dear friend, when I was a teenager and homeless due to arson, being excited that they were getting a new kitchen fitted at their home. I could have let them know it would be great to even have a kitchen. I could have laid the double-dose guilt trip on them, spread thickly over with glee with a huge dollop of bitter criticism on top for their lack of Christian love. 

I didn't do any of that. I knew that they loved me. I simply decided to celebrate with them. That's gracious. 

Romans 12:15: Rejoice with those who rejoice...

When someone gets a win in the area you're struggling, cheer them on. The fact that they are being blessed in an area proves that God can do it. If He can do it for them then He can do it for you too. Your time will come. 

It is about keeping your heart and your motives pure. It's not their fault that you're going through a tough time. Don't use their blessing as an excuse to blame God for what's happening in and to you. Be gracious.

On top of graciousness 

6. Remember to call in Reinforcements: 

Whilst showing grace is important don't put on a brave face. Don't walk alone. To learn the lesson of the valley of the shadow of death you need to call in the experts! 

Find a few trusted people further down the road than you and ask for some of their time. 

Proverbs 17:17: A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.

Years ago in a financial valley where I'd been made redundant that left us in a financial predicament. 

I could have been remorseful, shrunk into the little shell of my own pity party, and skulked away. I didn't. I new I needed help. So, I went to some of the guys in the church who were the wealthiest I people I knew. I didn't ask them for a hand out. I asked them for a hand up. They came around to my house, sat around our humble dining room table, and went through my finances with me at my request. They drew up a budget with me. They showed me how to produce a year plan, a five year plan and even threw in advice on running a business (which was a bonus but not asked for). 

Those few hours with those godly men did more than years of complaining would ever achieve for a guy in his early twenties. 

One day, if you manage your valley experience well, forgive, learn the lessons and be gracious, you might be asked to such an around the table conversation about the area you're currently struggling in. 

Around that table I learnt to remember something else too.

7. Remember to die!

There is a huge difference between humiliation and humility. Humiliation is when you are embarrassed public all, normally by someone else for their superiority to be seen, which causes you distress. Humiliated people rarely change, but become more embittered, spiralling further into their own darkness. 

Humility is a choice and an action. It is a choice to firstly humble yourself before God. This involves the action of admitting that you need Him. The promise of the Bible is that when this happens He will lift you up! 

James 4:10: Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.

It is like being airlifted out of the valley! One of the key things about being a Christian is that you realise the way to be promoted is down, that the bigger the task the bigger the servant heart that will be needed to carry it out. 

There is the critical need to die to the flesh; making sure that what got us into the mess of the valley of the shadow of death actually dies there.

Romans 6:1: In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.

Galatians 2:20: I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Even in the dark place Jesus is working in your heart and your life to bring about the desired outcome. 

Do not think that God had abandoned you, He hasn't (His rod and staff bring comfort). 

Do not think you are a lower level Christian for what you are going through. Remember the words of Peter:

1 Peter 5:7: These have come so that your faith---of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire---may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honour when Jesus Christ is revealed.

If you're in a valley your faith is being proved genuine. There's no testimony without a test and no crown with out a cross. 

8. Remember You Can Illuminate Your Valley

Remembering to do those seven things may not be automatic in your lowest points but they are vital. Remembering to keep moving, that the Light's shining, to forgive, to learn in the valley, to celebrate with others, to call for the help of others and to let die that which got you there in the first place will lead to the illumination of your valley experience. 

The Word of God is described by the Psalmist as a light, marking out the path before you and your feet at you walk.

Psalm 119:105: Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.

The  lamp is needed when there are lowlight conditions. It shines brightest in the darkness. It lights the path, but the kind of oil lamp being talked off here would not be a hundred million lumen search and rescue high beam searchlight. It only illuminate a few feet ahead. 

The lamp of God's word also throws light upon the feet on the one who is walking. It ensures that you do not step into a trap left by the enemy, allowing you to adjust your steps, one step at a time. 

The lamp also shines on the holder, casting light upon them, their character, in sharp contrast to the darkness around them.

Secondly, the Light of God within you radiates to those around you.

Matthew 5:14: You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden.

You become a city on hill that draws people to you. I am convinced this only happens in the valley of the shadow of death as the Christian displays the seven characteristics I outlined above. 

Whilst in the midst of your valley don't make the example you're setting others be the criterion for life: you will end up driving yourself into emotional breakdown and performance based Christianity

Just keep moving. Keep believing in the Light. Keep forgiving. Keep learning. Celebrate with others. Keep friends close. Die to the flesh. That's enough! The example to others will naturally come by doing those things without making others your focus.

Wrapping this up:

A cushy life is not the life of the Christian. People literally die for their faith whilst certain corners of the Church proclaim God wants too bless, bless, bless, bless you! Yes, God is a good God. Yes, Every good gift comes from Him. 

Life, though, for the Christian has a rich texture to it that is full of blessings but also has valleys. Faith without releasing that there is suffering too, is not faith but frivolity. Remind yourself of Paul's words as you trudge through your valley:

Romans 5:3-5: ".... we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us."