Break the Cycle, Be the Light

"You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden."

Matthew 5:14

Sometimes, the pain we carry isn't something we chose — it’s something passed down.

Maybe your mother was hurt by her own mother, and without meaning to, she carried that brokenness into raising you. Hurt people often hurt people, and unless someone chooses to break the cycle, it keeps on spinning.

But what if you chose differently?

What if instead of letting the pain define you, you let it refine you?

Instead of hurting others because you are hurting, you could be the friend who encourages, the sibling who forgives, the stranger who shows kindness. If you grew up around greed, you could be the one who chooses generosity. If you were surrounded by bitterness, you could choose love and grace.

You are called to be the salt and light of the world. Salt preserves what is good. Light drives out darkness. As followers of Christ, we are called to live differently — to make a difference.

Breaking the cycle doesn't mean pretending the pain never happened. It means using it as a reason to love deeper, shine brighter, and live more like Jesus. It’s not easy, but with God’s strength, it is possible.

Today, choose to be the difference. Heal, forgive, love — not because it was always done for you, but because that's what Jesus did for you.

You can break the cycle. You can bring light where there once was darkness.