When I wake up each day, the first thing I do is open the curtains to let in the light. Because for me, dark rooms during the daytime feel oppressive. So, when I lived in Stockholm, Sweden, during the winter of 2019, the daytime darkness of that northern region was quite a shock. The sun didn't even make an appearance until late morning, and even then, it was so low in the sky that our apartment remained shrouded in shadows throughout the short days.

On those many winter mornings in Scandinavia, I struggled to wake up. Once I did, grogginess dogged me for hours. Finally, though I had never been a coffee or tea drinker in the mornings, I resorted to having hot, caffeinated tea at 8:00 AM each day. But it wasn't enough – I couldn't trick my body into thinking that it had experienced light.

The persistent tiredness wasn't a psychological phenomenon but a physiological one. We are biologically designed to come out of darkness and into the light. The sun is a significant trigger for the hormone serotonin. As levels of serotonin rise, our brains awaken. Just as significantly, our mood and sense of well-being increase with the light.

The way things work in our bodies often reflects how they work in our souls, and light is no exception.

In the spiritual realm, moving from darkness, which could also be described as life without God, into His light, leads us to a life of joy and peace found only in God through Christ. Soaking in this light gives rise to a deep sense of contentment – like a hefty dose of serotonin for the soul. Walking in this spiritual light means believing that God is real, living like what He says is true, and knowing that the purpose of our existence is to love Him and to experience His love.

As important as physical light is to rouse us from slumber and improve health and well-being, the spiritual light of knowing God is more critical. It wakes each soul from a dangerous state in which we wrongly believe that remaining in spiritual darkness doesn't matter.

After receiving the saving light of salvation, we are called to walk in it daily, to follow God. This means choosing to turn thoughts from the worries du jour to "whatsoever is good, noble, and true." And throwing open the soul's window covers allows God’s light to reveal the wrong thoughts, motives, and desires hidden there.

Yet, even though I open the curtains in my home every day, I sometimes, inexplicably, find myself opting to leave the spiritual ones closed. Instead, I wallow in my emotions, cultivate fields of sadness, or dig up frustrations. I forget God's presence and provision and turn to my flawed ways and thoughts. In those times when I willfully forgo walking in the light of God (or when other people, events, or circumstances threaten to cast shadows), I can feel the oppression of the darkness.

Why is it so easy to forget the contentment that always comes in receiving God’s provision of light for my soul? Why do I sometimes behave like I’m in a shrouded space, unwilling to peel back whatever within me is blocking those healing rays – be it pride, self-sufficiency, apathy, or worse?

My salvation became complete when I accepted Christ at twelve years old – I can't make it any more finished. But it’s easy to forget under the pressures of life what has already been given to me and what is readily available to me. I have to consciously and regularly decide between hiding in the dark room of my humanity or allowing God to bathe me in the warmth of His healing love.

We are always seeking self-improvement, especially in January: exercise, less screen, healthier diets. Yet one of the best ways to improve our physical and spiritual health is to come out of darkness and into the light.

In the physical realm, availing ourselves (safely) to natural light and not remaining in shadowy, closed-in spaces is such an easy way to boost well-being. Spiritually, remaining in the light found in God through Christ guides our feet in the way of peace. And His is a light that never stops shining, even on the darkest days of our lives.

Without the powerful light of the sun, we suffer. But without the saving light of the Son, we die. And without the daily provision of God’s light, we don’t receive all His benefits or light the way for others.

It might be dark in the winter in some parts of the world, but once we have seen the great light of Christ, and once He has shone it in our hearts, our souls never need to live in darkness again. What better resolution could we ever make than to keep the curtains of our souls open always to receive it?