Why do we have ‘dark night’ of the soul as Christians?

The phrase, “the dark night of the soul,” has been round for over 500 years. It represents a deep season of struggling and confusion after we really feel deserted by God, however the final function of the “dark night” is to deepen our religious union with Him. 

Theologian R.C. Sproul wrote that this darkness is one thing that “the greatest of Christians have suffered from time to time. It was the malady that provoked David to soak his pillow with tears. It was the malady that earned for Jeremiah the sobriquet, ‘The Weeping Prophet.’”

He clarifies, “This is no ordinary fit of depression, but it is a depression that is linked to a crisis of faith, a crisis that comes when one senses the absence of God or gives rise to a feeling of abandonment by Him.”

Sproul provides, “We ask how a person of faith could experience such spiritual lows, but whatever provokes it does not take away from its reality. Our faith is not a constant action. It is mobile. It vacillates.” After which he concludes with this highly effective fact, “We move from faith to faith, and in between we may have periods of doubt when we cry, ‘Lord, I believe, help Thou my unbelief.’”

There have to be a turning level

This may be an unimaginable turning level: We both flip towards God or we flip towards bitterness, anger and frustration. 

We should select correctly; it’s a really crucial time within the lifetime of a believer. And many people undergo a number of darkish seasons — a failed marriage, the lack of a liked one, or a debilitating analysis. 

For instance, there was a really darkish season within the late Nineties that drew me again to the Lord; one other arduous season adopted in 2020. I even wrote a e-book about it in 2025, I Virtually Give up.

We will spend weeks in a darkish place, each mentally and emotionally. It’s a battle. Discouragement is a kind of enemies, among the many biggest weapons in opposition to us: We should select thankfulness over worry, and pleasure over dread. And at all times do not forget that God has the ultimate say.

What we imagine, not what we are saying we imagine

Darkish seasons reveal what we truly imagine, not simply what we say we imagine. The phrase, “the dark night of the soul,” captures a second all of us dread. It’s the second when the ground drops out from beneath us and after we understand we don’t have management; we come face-to-face with one thing we can not repair. Imagine it or not, this will truly be a superb factor. It’s typically solely after we hit all-time low that we flip to the Rock on the backside.

In Acts 12, we watch this occur in actual time. The Apostle James is killed by King Herod, and Peter is arrested, awaiting the same destiny. If we put ourselves in Peter’s footwear, we will think about the dread: If James has been executed, what’s coming for me?

A few of us know that sort of worry. Even when we’ve by no means been in a jail cell awaiting execution, now we have obtained the decision from the physician, a buddy, or the police division. We could have watched a relationship crumble or have skilled monetary uncertainty. 

We’ve little question carried grief and have lived by way of moments of ache … that’s typically after we understand, “I can’t fix this!” However once more, this could be a superb second. When our world falls aside and “the dark night of the soul” grips our hearts, we should select worship over fear, religion over worry, and belief over doubt.

Is religion a slogan or an anchor?

“Worry” is an fascinating phrase. It means being anxious or troubled about precise or potential issues. We’re typically inclined to fret about what’s coming, so we will change course or slip into safety mode. 

The thought of “worry” may really feel sophisticated. Typically anxiousness can push us towards vital adjustments, reminiscent of repentance and the usage of sensible knowledge. However when fear turns into unbiblical, it turns into our grasp and the antithesis of belief. Belief in God and fear are enemies; they can not each have dominion in the identical coronary heart. There’s a fixed rigidity between trusting God and worrying, and we really feel it deeply.

We’re not designed to lean solely on folks — we want group, however we’re known as to solid our cares on God and let Him carry the load (1 Peter 5:7). 

The arduous fact is that individuals will allow us to down. And at instances, that disappointment, nonetheless painful, can truly serve us. When mates, dad and mom, pastors, and others fail us, we’re pressured to lean extra totally on God. What wounds us typically turns into the place the place our dependence on our Savior deepens.

When life is tough, after we are alone and disenchanted, that is the place the “rubber meets the road” within the Christian life. It’s straightforward to speak about God’s goodness when life is simple. It’s straightforward to say we belief Jesus when the payments are paid, relationships are steady, and the physique is wholesome. However when the wheels fall off, and the storm comes, that’s when worship turns into actual. That’s after we uncover whether or not our religion is a slogan or an anchor.