The Dark Days Purpose — Michelle Blan

Could you imagine if we only had days that were full of nothing but bright sun, puffy white clouds, and a sky colored in the most beautiful hues of blue? What if we all walked around smiling and giggling? What if our hearts and minds were always content? What if we had no worries, no anxiety, and no pain?

What if the world was perfectly good?

Sure, it sounds great for a moment. Maybe even a little longer than that. But, if everything was already perfect, how can we grow? How can we transform into the strong women (and men) God created us to be?

Think about it – everything goes through transformation, growth, and healing. Whether it is going through a breakup, getting body work done on your car after an accident, or even popping open a can of cinnamon rolls. No matter what it is, the finished products are amazing. In a breakup, you learn more about yourself, love, and loss — and often find yourself in a better place than you were. Most auto body shops can make your car appear as though it was never wrecked. And, well, those cinnamon rolls… 😋

But they all had to go through the ugly, right? This brings us to the purpose of the dark days. The bad things that we go through, the rough times, the uncomfortable moments, the basic steps we must follow and overcome to get to something great – they all serve a purpose.

But, what is it? Why would a God so magnificent make us go through such gloom? Well, I don’t claim to have the exact answer, but I do have an idea of why these dark clouds and rough weather may move through.

Testing and Increasing Our Faith

It doesn’t matter how faithful we think we are, we could always give more. And, well, I think sometimes God likes to challenge us. You know, as it says in James 1:2-6 (NLT), “Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fulled developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing. If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind.”

There is a good chance you know exactly what I am talking about. Take that confident step forward and find, deep down inside, that you are still wavering over something. He can help you overcome that.

To Help Us Endure Life on Earth…

…so we can make our way to our eternal life! You don’t win a gold medal for putting in minimal effort, do you? You don’t bake delicious blueberry muffins by not following a recipe, right? And you don’t pass your exam without taking time to read the material and study.

What in the world makes you think you can get into heaven and be overjoyed with eternal life if you don’t endure all that life on earth has to give – including the tough stuff?

That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix out gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.

2 Corinthians 4:16-18

As a Reminder that God is in Control

We may keep an agenda, make our plans, and go about our daily lives — but God is the one that ultimately has control. He is the one who creates our world and everything in it. So, when we find ourselves knocked down or quarantined to our houses for weeks at a time, we have to remember that our world rests comfortably in God’s hands, no matter how personally uncomfortable we may be.

Late that night, the disciples were in their boat in the middle of the lake, and Jesus was alone on land. He saw that they were in serious trouble, rowing hard and struggling against the wind and waves. About three o’clock in the morning Jesus came toward them, walking on the water. He intended to go past them, but when they saw him walking on the water, they cried out in terror, thinking he was a ghost. They were all terrified when they saw him. But, Jesus spoke to them at once. “Don’t be afraid,” he said. “Take courage! I am here!”

Mark 6:47-50

So That We May Persevere

Sometimes we just have to make it through situations that we don’t like to get to those we do. And that’s ok. Why? Because when we get through the storm and we see that rainbow shining bright, we have persevered and we have grown. And, feelings of accomplishment and confidence soar.

So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.

Galatians 6:9

Look, I know that life right now is not ideal. And, quite honestly it may be getting more and more difficult to stay low key and practice social distancing. But, instead of looking at this time as a pain or a discomfort, change your perspective to view your current situation as a chance to become better – whatever better looks like in this season of your life.

Until next time… ❤❤