Out of the Darkness and Into His Light

Negative talk, complaining, lying, gossip, slander, harsh words spoken in anger—we have all been guilty of speaking language that indicates an unclean heart in desperate need of a Savior. The Bible tells us to guard our hearts because it is from within our hearts that our beliefs about ourselves, others, and the world around us flow. You see, the condition of our heart affects what we think, and what we think affects what we speak, and what we speak affects what we believe, and what we believe affects how we treat ourselves and others (Proverbs 4:23).

There was a season in my life when every word I said was negative and full of anger. It was a direct reflection of how I felt inside. I was so focused on what I didn’t have and how I didn’t measure up that I couldn’t see the blessings the Lord had placed in front of me. I was stuck in this endless cycle of heartbreak that led to negative thinking and negative talk. As a result, I was ungrateful and unkind to myself and others. With every word and every thought, I dug deeper into a pit I could see no way out of. I was in desperate need of Jesus to not only be my Savior but also my Lord.

The Bible tells us that the heart is the “most deceitful of all things and desperately wicked” (Jeremiah 17:9). In Matthew 15, Jesus explained a parable to the disciples to help them understand why they should be more concerned about what they say than what they eat.

"Do you not see that whatever goes into the mouth passes into the stomach and is expelled? But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. These are what defile a person. But to eat with unwashed hands does not defile anyone.” (Matthew 15:17-20, NLT)

Taking each thought captive (1 Peter 5:7) and fixing our thoughts on what is true (Philippians 4:8) are very important in the lives of a believer. But I believe these things are impossible unless we first allow the Lord to heal our broken hearts.

I had isolated myself deep down in that pit, recycling negative thoughts and words as if they were the truth. I avoided God and refused to pray or worship Him, yet He was the only one who could reach down into the depths of that pit and pull me out. Little by little, He healed my broken heart and helped me see myself as He did. He shared the truth about who He is and helped me surrender all the hurt and lies into His capable hands.

Before I knew it, the Lord had transformed how I saw Him, myself, and others. He had brought me out of the darkness and into his marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9).

Dear one, what He did for me, He desperately wants to do for you. He is reaching down to you right now and wants to pull you out of the depths of despair and set your feet on solid ground. Will you surrender your hurts to the Lord today and allow Him to heal, purify, and change your heart? Will you pray with me?

Lord, I need you. I want you to pull me out of this pit. I am done focusing on the negative. I want to be healed and whole, and I know You are the only one who can help me. Lord, I surrender to you all my hurts, and I trust You to heal my heart. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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Scripture is quoted from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.