We are all inclined to wander. We are all prone to move towards darkness. It can happen suddenly, or it can happen gradually; it can be a conscious decision, or it can be a subconscious decision. When it occurs — when we notice that we have slipped back into the darkness our flesh is so drawn to, we sometimes wonder how we got here. Just last week it seemed like we were doing great. God was working in our lives, and His Light was shining out of us onto the people around us. How did that light get turned off?
When a flashlight goes out the first step we take to get it back on is to make sure it’s batteries have a charge. Likewise, in a spiritual sense, we need to make sure we are connected with the power source.
John 1:1-5
1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2He was in the beginning with God.
3All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.
4In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men.
5The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.
Psalm 119
130The unfolding of Your words gives light; It gives understanding to the simple.
Proverbs 6
23For the commandment is a lamp and the teaching is light; And reproofs for discipline are the way of life
The Word of God, and the life of Jesus is our source of light. If we are not plugged into that source, then there is no light to illuminate our lives. The whole Bible is focused on bringing to light the fact that we are hopeless sinners, and we need the salvation that God graciously provided us through His Son. When the light of the Word is shining in our minds and hearts, it’s a lot easier to see when we’re being knuckleheads. We can see things clearly and have discernment in our lives.
Perhaps our light isn’t completely out, but it’s just a little dimmer than it used to be. Has it been too long since you put in fresh batteries? If our batteries haven’t been charged in a while, then we can kinda see, but it’s a lot easier to bump into things and stumble when the light is too dim. The Bible emphasizes the importance of spending time reading and meditating upon the scriptures every day (Psalm 1). The Word of God is food for our souls, and a poorly fed soul gives off a weak light.
Or maybe our batteries are charged up, but there’s something covering up the light. Perhaps a layer of dust has built up on the light because we don’t move it around too much and it’s been sitting there in the same spot for a long time. Maybe we didn’t want to bother our friends whose eyes were sensitive to the light, so we put a shade over it to hide how bright it is.
Luke 11:33-36
33“No one, after lighting a lamp, puts it away in a cellar nor under a basket, but on the lampstand, so that those who enter may see the light.
34“The eye is the lamp of your body; when your eye is clear, your whole body also is full of light; but when it is bad, your body also is full of darkness.
35“Then watch out that the light in you is not darkness.
36“If therefore your whole body is full of light, with no dark part in it, it will be wholly illumined, as when the lamp illumines you with its rays.”
It’s time to dust off that light and remove the dark shade. Don’t be afraid to let the light of Jesus be bright in your life. Not only does it help you to see better, but people around you will see better too. Have you ever been around someone that just radiates the light of Jesus? When I’m around those kinds of people, it makes me want what they have — more Jesus.
When the light is burning bright again — use it. Look around you and see the opportunities that God is giving you to share that light with people. Carry your light and move into the dark areas surrounding you, bring the light to those people that are lost in the darkness. Some will flee from the light, some will yell at you to put it out, because they are comfortable in their darkness and it is too painful for them to look at the light. Yet, some will be drawn to it. Some will see the peace, the joy, the hope that the light has brought you, and they will recognize it as the thing they have been longing for their whole life. They, in turn, will want to share the light with others who are lost in the darkness.
That is Gods plan. That’s how God reaches the lost people He loves so dearly. It’s the only pyramid marketing scheme that I would ever recommend you get involved in. The cost is free, the rewards are eternal, and Jesus is at the top of the pyramid. Keep your light charged up, keep it clean, uncovered, and shining bright everywhere you go.