Let your words be light: 5 ways to write against the darkness.

Words: the Writer’s Light

We all need light. It gives us warmth, allows for life, and directly affects both our physical and mental health. Unfortunately, it’s not always there when we need it.

Look around you—have you seen the darkness? I live pretty far north, so I’m seeing a lot of literal darkness as we trek through winter. Around the world, none of us need to look farther than the internet, the news, or the experiences of our loved ones to see that sometimes, there’s darkness even when the sun shines.

Have you ever considered how you can fight the dark? We can’t always escape it, but we don’t need to wallow. We don’t need to let the light go.

What does light look like? What kinds of things fight the pain, sorrow, fear, and hatred that permeate the world today? I found a list that resounded with me in a letter the Apostle Paul wrote to an early Christian church. He told them, “…whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things” (Philippians 4:8).

Truth. Justice. Loveliness. Excellence.

People in the first century were pursuing them, and they surely can change the world now.

So how can words be a part of this light?

For one, they can reflect light. They can be used to talk about beautiful, true, and excellent things. Furthermore, they can be used directly to love, encourage, and lift others up. Finally, where darkness destroys, light creates. Creating light with your words is a powerful and necessary responsibility, and I’ve made a list of five ways to use words as light.

I invite you to join me in them.

If you have experienced something beautiful, share it with others.

Are there moments in your life that have taken your breath away, made you smile, or stuck with you as beautiful and precious? If so, write about it! You’ll thank yourself for preserving the memory, and others will thank you for making their days a little brighter when you share.

How I’m doing this:

I made the transition from 2018 to 2019 while on vacation with extended family, and the experience was life-changing. This winter, I am going to write about my time in the mountains of Montana so that I never forget it—and share some of what I learned with the people around me.

Where you see words being used to tear down, use words to build up.

Sometimes, words are part of the problem. People use them to intentionally or unintentionally hurt others in the ways they tear people down through insults, lies, hatred, and uncontrolled anger. You can use your words differently. Where you see people insulting or lashing out at others, use yours to complement others or give them the help they need. In your own life, replaces lies with honesty, and control the impulse to speak (or write) in anger.

How I’m doing this:

I’m used to seeing people around me lash out at and insult others when they’re upset or frustrated—sometimes, not even at the true source of their frustration. I’ve seen what happens when I do the same, so I’ve made a commitment to be different. When others are gossiping, I defend the absent party when appropriate or walk away. When I am angry, I run my words past a calm person before sending them. When I see someone being torn down unnecessarily, I try to use my words to let them know I see and appreciate them, even when others don’t.

When you see people in your life hurting, use your words to encourage them.

Life is hard. That will be true in different ways for different people, but we’re not meant to face darkness alone. If your friends or family members are struggling, be there for them with your words. That doesn’t mean showering them in clichés and empty pep talks; instead, be honest in letting them know how much you care for them. Let them know that you’re there to listen to them and to offer any advice they actually ask for. If you’ve been through similar things, let them know that they’re not alone.

How I’m doing this:

When I was younger, I was rejected when I tried to help some people, and that stuck with me. It made me afraid. I assumed that nobody wanted my help, and I stayed out of their problems. Now, I’m working on being brave enough to love again. I don’t always know the right thing to say when someone is hurting, but I’m reaching out and letting them know I’m there for them in whatever they need—and sometimes, that’s all it takes.

If you recognize a need, consider whether your words can be used to solve it.

There are many people in the world who are suffering, missing things they need. Is there a problem that you care deeply about? Put your words to work! If the people solving that cause need help writing words, volunteer your own words. If very few people know about the problem, use your words to spread awareness of the need and the solution. It’s become cliché to say that you can make a difference, but in this case, it’s still just as true.

How I’m doing this:

I care deeply about the issue of human trafficking and sexual exploitation, and I’ve been trained as a grant writer. I have chosen to volunteer my skills to help local organizations pursue grant funding in their efforts to raise awareness, protect young people, and rehabilitate women coming out of a life of slavery. They only need me sparingly, and it sometimes feels like just a drop in the bucket, but I know it’s the right thing to do, and I pray it makes a difference.

When people around you are focusing on the negative, add something positive.

It’s easy to focus on what’s wrong—we talk about what hurts in our bodies, what’s going wrong in politics, how shocking the latest disaster is, and how badly things are going at work. Recognizing what’s wrong can be useful if it leads to change, but it’s unhealthy to live in constant negativity. As a writer, you can use your words to add something positive to the conversation. Where people are telling stories of pain, tell stories of love and victory. Where people are using the internet to spread anger, use it to spread hope. When stories themselves seem meaningless, add something that is full of beauty and truth.

How I’m doing this:

I’ve always tried to be positive in how I interact with others on social media, but it’s been passive. Now, I’m trying to use my personal accounts to intentionally share things that add beauty, hope, and laughter into the lives of those I care about. Sometimes, that looks like a funny quote from a child I know; other times, it’s sharing a vulnerable story behind an Instagram photo. Whatever the case may be, I want to make sure that there is light, not just darkness, shining into the feeds of the people around me.

Light: the Writer’s Responsibility

The list of steps above isn’t just a nice thought to me—it’s a responsibility, and I hope you see it as one too.

This world is full of darkness, and not just because the days are shorter right now in the northern countries. We all need a light that’s not always there, and as human beings, we ought to be doing our part to share light with others. If you’re a writer, your gift is words, so your responsibility is to use those words as light.

The task may sound intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be—the more intentionally you think about what light is and what the people around you need, the more productively you’ll be able to make an impact.

To me, light looks like truth, beauty, justice, and excellence. What does it look like to you? When you’ve figured it out, put your pen to the page, or your fingers to the keyboard, and use your words to share beautiful things and encouragement with those who are in the dark. You might just discover that the more light you share, the more you have left for yourself.