"Being exposed was the best thing that ever happened to me."
I was speechless when I heard my friend speak these words. He shared how his wife discovered his addiction early in their marriage. I would never have imagined "wife discovered addiction" and "best thing ever" together in one sentence.
When he unpacked that statement, he shared how his addiction fueled shame, depression, and worthlessness. Once exposed, he wasn't sure what his wife would ultimately do. But, his feelings in the dark began to lose their power in the light.
As my friend worked with a counselor, turning to other men for support and accountability, he discovered a deeper understanding of God's love and grace. Ultimately, his wife stayed, and he began to deal with the underlying issues that he'd been self-medicating. Today, he continues to meet with a Christian therapist and supports other men with a similar history.
My friend's shocking statement came to mind the first time I listened to the new song from TAYA, "Come Into the Light." The voice behind popular songs like "Oceans" and "So Will I," TAYA's newest song explores our tendency to hide from God and the freedom possible when we leave the darkness. The opening lyrics sound like the invitation my friend felt amidst his addiction.
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"Are you wounded from all the pain
Of hidden sin and secret shame?
Are you burdened and so afraid?
Come into the light."
In a video posted on her Instagram feed, TAYA shared the story behind the song, including a transparent conversation with her co-writers. "We just realized there was this invitation to bring every part of our life before God. And what's crazy is when you don't and you keep things in the dark and you keep it hidden, that's where the enemy (has) his playground and he loves to work. But when you bring things into the light, the broken pieces, the, the things that you think that nobody else knows about, but you maybe carry very dear or perhaps weigh heavily on you, when you bring that to God, you allow him to work and you allow him to be who he says that he is. He actually wants us to walk in freedom and us to walk in healing and wholeness more than we desire to. I just love that this is an invitation for all of us."
This universal, life-altering invitation that TAYA speaks of reflects the heart of God, described across the pages of Scripture. In Psalm 103, David writes about God's response to us. "He does not punish us for all our sins; he does not deal harshly with us, as we deserve. For his unfailing love toward those who fear him is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth."
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TAYA sings, "Come into the light - And you will find a savior - Gentle and lowly waiting on the other side." Her lyrics echo the invitation Jesus offered to his followers. "Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls."
Though Jesus offers us this invitation, it's often difficult to embrace it when we have a pattern of hiding from God. Like Adam and Eve, hiding in the garden after their sin in Genesis 3, we fear God's presence, know what our nakedness reveals, and so we hide. TAYA poetically portrays this experience when she sings, "Have you been here a thousand times? Have you started to believe the lie - that it's safer for you to hide? Come into the light."
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The song "Come Into the Light" has a beauty to it, but embracing its message is brutally hard. TAYA sings, "Are you weak and scared to speak—of what you can't admit you need?" Fear often holds us hostage, settling for sin and shame when freedom and forgiveness are available.
The Apostle Paul, who was very familiar with feelings of shame and condemnation, wrote about the good news that Jesus' invitation represents. In Colossians 1, Paul wrote, "He has enabled you to share in the inheritance that belongs to his people, who live in the light. For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins."
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If you or someone you love is fighting an addiction today, "Come into the Light" is a gift. If you feel the weight of shame and condemnation because of what you've done or where you've been, there is no need to remain in hiding. Play "Come into the Light" as many times as you need, letting TAYA sing Scripture over you.
Scott Savage is a pastor, author, and speaker with the best last name in the world. Scott’s writing helps people transform difficult circumstances into places where they can thrive. He leads Cornerstone Church in Prescott, Arizona, and loves watching movies with his wife and three kids. You can begin Scott’s life-changing project, The 21 Day Gratitude Challenge, today.
