How Can I Shine?
Written By: Karen Robuck
Youtube influencer Diane Leary of MeMe’s Recipes always ends her videos with the phrase, “Shine for Jesus.” How can I shine for Jesus? Years of special-needs parenting, losing my parents within a year of each other, and other issues had left me in the pit of depression. Having had a nervous breakdown in my twenties and living with low-grade depression underneath the surface for many years, I knew what was coming. I could feel the physical pain in my bones and the spiritual and emotional pain deep in my soul. But I could not remember how to get out of the pit.
I can shine by asking, “How can I shine?” in a different way. Instead of asking, “How can I shine? I’m depressed,” I need to ask, “How can I shine for Jesus despite my depression?” After all, light dispels darkness. Just as a little bit of light from a small lamp is enough to help me walk through my house in the dark of night, even a small amount of God’s light will help me walk through spiritual and emotional darkness. John 1:5 (ESV) says, “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” Even though my days seemed dark for a long time, darkness did not overcome me. Jesus was always there, giving me enough light to function while waiting for me to come to Him in faith.
I can shine by realizing that while Jesus is the ultimate source of my healing, He may be asking me to do my part. Many times when Jesus healed, all He required was faith. But in John 9:1-7, He put mud on a blind man’s eyes and told him to wash it off if he wanted to be healed. Maybe He is asking me to “wash the mud off my eyes,” as well. So how do I do that?
I can shine by praising Him, even when it’s hard, even when I don’t feel like it, and even when I can’t see things clearly because of the haze that depression brings. According to Anne Graham Lotz (Joy for the Journey devotional, May 25, 2024), “Praise is the switch that turns on the light of joy in our lives even when it’s dark outside. And the resulting ‘light’ causes others to see the glory of God in our lives.” Some days all I can do is sing a familiar hymn, a contemporary Christian music song, or a chorus. But according to King David in Psalm 13:6, music can be a form of praise. He wrote, “I will sing to the Lord, for He has been good to me” (NIV).
After I praise Him for Who He is, I need to find at least one thing to be thankful for, even if all I can do is thank Him for giving me a good night’s sleep. I need to be more positive in my prayers, reminded that He is listening, that He is all-powerful, and that He knows what is on my heart before I ask Him. I can shine by thanking Him for both the good and the bad in my life.
I can shine by applying the words of Psalm 119:105: “Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (ESV). I can find the light that Jesus, the Living Word, brings by being more intentional in reading and studying the written Word of God.
I can shine by looking for God in all things. Things in nature. The little miracles at home. The coincidences that aren’t really coincidences. The blessings in disguise.
As I take my eyes off myself and put them on Jesus, I can find ways to put others above myself without burning myself out. Isaiah says, “If you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday.” (Isaiah 58:10, ESV) I can get involved in church and community activities in ways that go beyond buying items for Operation Christmas Child, the food pantry, and book and toy drives.
I can shine by realizing that as I am climbing out of this pit, I am growing. By the time I get out of the pit, my faith will be stronger. I can shine by being willing to share my story. All of my story. The times when God has been good to me. The struggles of being a special-needs mom. The times God has pulled me up when I failed. The pain. The journey.
I can shine because even though I got myself into the pit of depression, I am not climbing out of it alone. Jesus is not at the entrance to the pit, waiting for me to pull myself out. He is there beside me, taking each step with me.
Jesus is the Light of the world. He is my Light. He is waiting for me to take His hand and lead me out of the darkness. But I must take His hand. I must trust Him enough to go where He leads, even though the journey to healing will be long, winding, and painful.
Karen Robuck has worn many hats⸺librarian; teacher; homeschool mom; wife. Even with all those hats, she has found time to be published in various children’s, writers’, and homeschool magazines, blogs, and websites.
She joined Compel Pro Writers Training in 2024 and has enjoyed delving into writing devotional and inspirational pieces. She lives in Northeast Mississippi with her husband, two young adult children, and eight cats.
You can connect with Karen on her Facebook page!
