I am always looking for a great dark spot remover. I have a significant one on my face that I would love to see disappear. There is another kind of dark spot in our lives. We all have them. They make themselves known at the most inopportune moments. They often sneak up on us. Others often see them in us first. These dark spots live in our hearts, but show up through our words, emotions, and actions.

These dark spots begin to develop in our youngest of years. What we see, hear and experience can wound us and it just stays within us. Eventually, it shows up again. Here are a few signs that you have dark spots.

1.  Depression
2.  Anger
3.  Bitterness
4.  Fear
5.  Defensiveness
6.  Rigidity

See what I mean? We all have them. Here’s the good news. We can get rid of them. The dark spot remover I use is miraculous. He cleaned out dark spots that I thought where a permanent part of me. He cleaned out dark spots that I attributed to my “personality.” I used to think, “That’s just the way I am.” Now I understand that dark parts of my “personality” were not created by God. They are in contrast to His character and can only come from the world. He has removed so many dark spots in my heart that I feel like a new person. There are still more dark spots to be removed, but now there is more joy, love, compassion and kindness in my heart than darkness. There was a time when depression, defensiveness and fear ruled my heart. I am so grateful that this is no longer true.

This can be true for you, as well. I know it is hard to believe or imagine. But, God is that big. He sent his son, Jesus, so that there would be light in the world and no one would stay in darkness (John 12:6). He desires to be your dark spot remover, too. So, how do you get rid of them? It is simple and yet difficult.

1. Acknowledgement: It always starts with recognizing and owning the dark spot.
2. Seek God: This is when I spend time with God seeking to understand what triggered the anger, fear etc. Once I understand it, I ask God to show me the root. Where did it start and begin to build?
3. Pray and seek forgiveness: Once I understand the trigger and root, I pray and ask God to forgive my misunderstanding of His love and His ability to handle a situation. Wrapped within these negative reactions is always some level of misunderstanding of who God is. I ask God to remove the roots and heal and restore my heart to how He intended it to be.
4. Share: Many of these dark spots involve interactions with others. We may need to seek forgiveness from others, and we may need others support in changing well established patterns of behavior. It is vital to have someone in your life who can speak truth in love to you as you strive to change habits that put wedges in relationships.

Are you ready for an awesome dark spot remover? You won’t be the same when He’s done. You won’t regret it, either. Share your tips, success and questions and we can encourage each other toward a clean heart.

PS: For more detailed information on a clean heart, see the book Clean Your Inner House in the store.