The Dark Night of the Soul vs. Regular Trials

 The Dark Night of the Soul vs. Regular Trials

It has been exactly a week since I've been out of the hospital from my psychotic breakdown. Just like most of the other psychotic episodes I though I was condemn, I had committed unforgivable sin, and I was the most doomed of all even the devil. It has been 2 years since I had a psychotic breakdown specifically January of 2022. However, the psychosis was more bearable compared to "The Dark Night of the Soul." "The Dark Night of the Soul" is lasting feeling of being absent from God while going through some type of affliction. It feels as though God has abandon you. Everyone experiences it differently. There are different degrees and experiences of "The Dark Night of the Soul." For some, they just don't feel God's presence anymore or they don't feel guided by the Holy Spirit as they once were. Others not only feel God's absence, but they also lose there emotions or have a seared conscience. 

For a while, I did not know what to call this condition, but God guided to me to answer. The third day after I was restored from this trial of feeling abandon and condemn, God shared with me in a Christian book study called "The Purpose Driven Life" that I was finishing up. The exact chapter of this Christian book study was called "When God Seems Distant." The chapter described that this trial was called by some "The dark Nigh of the Soul." Below is the page of this chapter in which I first heard this trial.

A couple weeks ago, I spoke to a person who told me not to call this trial of feeling separated from God and feeling forsaken "The Dark Night of the Soul" because it was to broad of a term for this condition. I started to worry and felt as if I might be misleading others to the wrong term, but God guided me once again after I expressed my concern to Him.

This past Sunday, my pastor preached about this condition. Click the photo below to watch the video clip:

I have come to the conclusion that "the Dark Nigh of the Soul" may be broad, however, this is because each person's conditions or circumstance may be different. We are different so we will all be affected differently whether that because we have greater liability in the kingdom of god, because we are more sensitive such as being more in tuned with the Holy Spirit than others, or because God has a vital task for us to fulfill once we are restored.

I will always remember from the spiderman movie this proverb, "With great power there must also come great responsibility." I believe this to be true when it comes to important tasks that we fulfill for God on Earth which may require much testing and discipline. 

So perhaps trial of "The Dark Nigh of the Soul" is trying and devastating because there is a greater task at hand once restoration occurs.

1 Peter 1:7

So that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

James 1:2-4

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

2 Corinthians 8:2

For in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part.