Still His: Walking in the Light When You Feel Broken
A Devotional on 1 John Chapters 1–3
By Rylan Isabella Wicker
📖 Key Scripture
"And this is His commandment, that we believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as He has commanded us."
— 1 John 3:23 (ESV)
💭 Have you ever felt like a broken Christian?
Like no matter how much you love Jesus, you’re still stuck battling unwanted thoughts… old temptations… shameful dreams… and doubts about whether you’re even truly saved?
You’re not alone. I’ve been there. And 1 John speaks directly into that battle.
✨ The Reality of the Battle (1 John 1:6–10)
John tells us plainly that if we walk in darkness while claiming to have fellowship with God, we’re not living in truth (v.6). That sounds harsh—but “walking in darkness” doesn’t mean you struggle or stumble; it means you live in rebellion and refuse the light.
What brings comfort is verse 9:
“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us… and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
God knew we would struggle. That’s why He provided Jesus as our Advocate. He’s not surprised by our mess—He’s ready to meet us in it.
🌱 Born Again, But Still Growing (1 John 3:9)
This verse can shake you if misunderstood:
“No one born of God makes a practice of sinning… and he cannot keep on sinning.”
John isn’t saying Christians never sin—he’s saying those who are born of God don’t continue in sin comfortably or habitually. God’s seed (His Spirit) in us makes us uncomfortable with sin. We may fall, but we don’t live there anymore.
🧠 What About Unwanted Thoughts or Dreams?
You are not your thoughts.
You are not your temptations.
You are not even your past.
If you hate those thoughts and reject them—that’s proof of God’s work in you. The real danger isn’t struggling with sin; it’s being okay with it.
💔 When Believers Fail to Love (1 John 3:17)
“If anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him?”
This verse reminds us that love is more than belief—it's action. Sometimes the deepest wounds come not from the world, but from those we thought would walk with us in our hardest moments.
There have been seasons in my life when I hoped those around me—especially those I served alongside in ministry—would check in, offer encouragement, or simply say, "How are you really doing?" But instead, there was silence. That silence hurt more than words could.
I wasn't expecting grand solutions or financial aid—I just longed to know someone still cared, that my struggle mattered, that I wasn’t invisible.
This verse helped me realize something: even when human love fails, God's love does not. He never overlooks. He never scrolls past our pain. He draws near to the brokenhearted—and in those moments when others are distant, He becomes even more present.
📄 Our Christian Command (1 John 3:23)
Believe in Jesus.
Love one another.
That’s the summary of the Christian life. That’s our job description. And even when people fail to fulfill it toward us, we are still called to live it out ourselves.
🪞 Reflection Questions
Do you feel like you’re “walking in the light”—or hiding in shame?
What unwanted thoughts or sins keep trying to define you?
Who has failed to show love to you—and how can you release that to God today?
What does believing in Jesus and loving others look like in your current season?
🙏 Prayer for Healing, Cleansing, and Surrender
Father,
You see me. You know every thought, every struggle, every place I fall short. And still, You have not turned Your face from me. You see the pain that others miss. You know the heartbreak of betrayal, abandonment, and loneliness. You were rejected too.
I bring You all of it—the shame of my sin, the confusion of my thoughts, the ache of being left behind by those who once walked with me. I release them to You.
Where their love failed me, let Your love restore me.
Where their silence wounded me, let Your voice remind me of who I am.
Where their hands were closed, let Your hands provide.
Help me not to live in bitterness or self-pity. Help me to walk in the light—not because I’m perfect, but because I’m Yours. Teach me to love others even when they fail me, to forgive even when it hurts, and to keep believing that You are for me.
Thank You for the blood of Jesus that cleanses me from all unrighteousness. Thank You that Your Spirit is alive in me, guiding me away from sin and calling me into holiness.
I may fall, but I will not stay down. I am born of God, and Your love defines me—not my past, not my thoughts, and not the way others treat me.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.
You are still His. Still seen. Still loved. Still being made new.