“Darkness is Necessary for Development”
Written By: Pastor Nett
I can remember when I was in high school I was a part of the photography Club. We were responsible for capturing photos for almost every event that took place at the school such as the different club events, all home games, homecoming, dances, plays; that’s just to name a few.
The process of photography was so much different 38 years ago. It’s a lot easier to just snap a photo today. Back then we used film photography verses digital photography. We couldn’t just snap the photo and look at it right away. There was a long step by step process. Every time you snapped a picture it would be captured on a roll of film. The film was then removed out of the camera and taken into what we called a darkroom. It had to be fully dark in the room to start the process. It was mandatory to follow all the steps in the darkroom in order for the film to be developed. We couldn’t open the film until we were in complete darkness because if we did, the least little light would destroy the pictures.
That’s exactly what God does with us. He allows us to go through what may feel like the darkest moments of our lives. Why? So that he can develop us into what he created us to be. It’s so necessary and he doesn’t want us to come out prematurely because it could destroy us.
James 1:1-4 says it best “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”
I want to encourage you, as hard as it may seem try not to concentrate on what you are going through, instead have faith by finding comfort in what the outcome will be. Your faith is being tried. Respond in a way that’s pleasing to God. Don’t try to avoid what God is taking you through because it’s necessary for your development. It may seem dark now but I promise you if you go through the process the outcome will be greater than what you could imagine.
Remember that the race is not given to the swift or the strong but to those who endures until the end.