“Lift your mood with light therapy” said the title of a Mayo Clinic article earlier this month.

Reading this on a gray day in January, I had to admit that a little extra light sounded good and kept reading.

The writer explained how the long, dark days of winter can sometimes send one’s spirits into a nosedive, leading to “seasonal affective disorder,” a kind of depression linked to changes in seasons.

“Light therapy is one of our effective treatments,” Mayo psychologist Craig Sawchuk said.

“You want to make sure that the light is sitting about an arm's length or so in front of you,” he said. “You don't have to stare directly at the light, but you want to keep your eyes open. So you could be doing things like having breakfast or a cup of coffee, watching TV, or working online," says Dr. Sawchuk.

Just keep on using light therapy into the spring, he said, or whenever your mood starts to improve.

Probably you know someone who has used light therapy. Maybe you’ve benefitted from it yourself.

But during this wintry pandemic I wonder if perhaps we need a stronger form of light therapy. Let’s call it “light of the world therapy.”

“I am the light of the world,” Jesus declared (John 8:12). Indeed, “God is light; in him is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5).

This is no light bulb we are talking about! Looking to Jesus, the light of the world, does way more than elevate our mood. This Light points the way to eternal life and offers daily guidance and spiritual protection, among other things.

Eternal life. Jesus said, “Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life” (John 8:12). Also, “if we walk in the light, as he is in the light…the blood of Jesus purifies us from all sin” (1 John 1:7).

Jesus is the light who leads us from the darkness of sin and death to the light of righteousness and a right relationship with God through Him.

Daily guidance. In the darkness of confusion and uncertainty, when we cannot see the way ahead, let us seek God’s light on the situation through spending time with Him in prayer and daily Bible study.

“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path,” the Psalmist says. “You are my lamp, O Lord,” David sings. “The Lord turns my darkness into light” (2 Samuel 22:29).

Scripture says that “in his light we see light” (Ps. 36:9).

Spiritual protection. Lately I’ve been reflecting on Romans 13:12 where we are asked to “put on the armor of light.” What a powerful image. It reminds me of the incident in Lord of the Rings when Frodo defends himself from the evil spider Shelob by holding aloft the bottle filled with blinding light from Eärendil’s star.

But our armor of light is not found in a bottle. Our armor, as detailed in Ephesians 6, consists of the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, our feet fitted with the gospel of peace, the shield of faith, helmet of salvation, and sword of the spirit which is the word of God.

This armor of light will protect us from Satan’s attacks and help us stand strong in Christ even when temptation, discouragement and doubt besiege us.

We can affirm with the Psalmist, “The Lord is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear? (Ps. 27:1).”

Winter will be here for awhile. It’s fine to turn on an extra light or two until blue skies return. But what better time to spend extra minutes sitting in the light of our Lord’s presence and His Word—getting some good old-fashioned light therapy of the soul. The effects will be noticeable.

“Those who look to him are radiant,” Scripture says. “Their faces are never covered with shame.”