June 1, 2026
Monday, June 1
My daughter and I have taken a few long car trips together. This means sharing a hotel room. She once pointed out that, at some point every night, I will get up and attempt to traverse the room. I will, every single time, run into something. I’ll trip over a pair of shoes on the floor. I’ll bump into the chair at the desk. I’ll miss the bathroom door and slam into the wall. My nocturnal shambling is so predictable, she literally waits for it to happen each night, and then has a hard time getting back to sleep. After she told me this, I tried to do better. I established a new habit. Before going to bed, I clear a path between my bed and the bathroom. I memorize that path, and try my best to walk it flawlessly in the dark.
The way most of us have been discipled in the faith didn’t prepare us to walk in the dark. Most of us come to know Jesus as young children. We present the Gospel very simply to pre-teen kids. We want them to understand the core truths: We’re all sinners, and need a Savior. Jesus is that Savior. He died to set us free from our sins, and to bring us into His family forever. When kids believe in that good news, we baptize them and tell them, “Learn what the Bible says, and obey it. Listen to your parents. Go to church. Treat other people the way you want to be treated.”
All of that is true. But that simple presentation of the Gospel and discipleship, while it helps us commit our lives to Christ at an early age, doesn’t prepare us to walk in the dark. After all, the Gospel is simple, but following Jesus is complicated. Many Christian kids, as they get older, encounter things they didn’t see coming. They see believers do terrible things. They get hurt by the church they are attending. They experience pain that doesn’t seem to match what they’ve been told about a God who loves them. Meanwhile, they see people who live completely godless lives, who seem to have “the good life.” They were taught that believing in Jesus makes us good people, and that God looks out for those He loves. When that doesn’t seem true anymore, it can be devastating.
This also happens to people who came to Christ later in life. If you became a Christian as a teenager or an adult, you felt like you were leaving the darkness and coming into the light. And that is absolutely true. But the evils of this world (and in some cases, sad to say, the Church) make you feel like you’re walking in darkness again. It’s no wonder we see so many people drop out of church, and even wonder whether their conversion was real.
This world is a dark place. We need to train believers to have grit, what the Bible calls endurance (“I will not quit”) or steadfastness (“I will not be moved”). How can we help our people form new habits, so they know how to walk in the dark? That’s what we’ll explore for the rest of this week.
“Lord, I wish there wasn’t so much darkness in this world. I look forward to when we walk in the light of your presence every day in glory. Until then, teach me to walk in the dark, following you every step. And help our church to train all of us to follow your light. In your name, Jesus, I pray. Amen.”
Senior Pastor
First Baptist Conroe
More from Pastor Jeff at his website: jeffbergerwriting.com
