Hey, Buddy…Got a Light?

I’ve been at my job for a few months now.  I work at a store where we have a back room for all of the overstock.  There’s nothing remarkable about this room.  It’s small, dingy and kind of a mess to be honest.  A couple of days ago, I noticed that one of the lights was out.  I told my boss and he proceeded to change it.  I had to get something from the back an hour later and almost needed sunglasses because it was so bright.  I never noticed how dark things were until there was fully functional light.

That got me to thinking about, well, me.  I’ve been a Christian since I was 5.  However, it wasn’t until I was a freshman in college that my real life with Christ began.  Once I finally got on the discipleship wagon, God started revealing things to me.  Flaws of my character, plans for my life, things about Him.  You know, the typical God stuff he shows and tells you if you look and listen.  And you know what?  It was only then that I started to realize how much in the dark I had been.  I mean, I was a good kid.  Didn’t party, didn’t drink, didn’t do much of anything wrong.  But with the new found light of God, I realized that my life, without Christ, is small, dingy, and kind of a mess.  Well, more like a big colossal mess, but you get my point.  I recognized I like to live in the darkness because that’s where I’m most comfortable.  There are no spotlights shining on my sins.  No knot in the pit of my stomach due to living contrary to God’s will.  And if you live in the darkness for long enough, it’s not dark anymore, is it?  It becomes normal for us.

Think about when you turn off the light at night as you’re going to bed.  Eventually, your eyes adjust to the darkness and you’re able to make out shapes in your bedroom.  But you can’t exactly see, can you?  You can manage to stumble to the bathroom if you need to, but how many times have you stubbed your toe on a table or chair in the process?

This is the trap we fall into as Christians.  We’re not exactly helpless living in the dark, but we’ve all stubbed our toe more than once.  We all end up walking around with our stubbed toes, bumps and bruises.  And for whatever reason, we become comfortable with it, bruises and all.  We refuse to turn on the light for fear of what we might find in the room with us or what God might show us.  But take heart, friend.  There is no need to fear God’s light.  Psalm 27:1 says:

The LORD is my light and my salvation–so why should I be afraid?

He is our light and salvation.  We need not fear him.  The light is for our good.  We all have sins we want to keep hidden away in the dark.  But God wants something better for us.  He wants us to live in the light as he is in the light and to purify us from all sin (1 John 1:7).  His light brings hope.  Paul prayed for enlightenment for the church at Ephesus so that they would know of God’s hope (Ephesians 1:18).  But to know that hope, to have the life God intended for us, we have to turn on the light.  We must ask God to bring us out of our darkness and into his light so that all may be revealed.

One more thing about that light at work.  Once it was bright enough to actually see everything, I started looking around at things I could do to improve the room.  Whether it be getting rid of trash that I never knew was trash or doing some organizing to make it easier to walk around or get to stuff, it wasn’t until that light was fixed that I wanted to do any of these things.  I have found the same to ring true in my life.  Once God’s light permeates my life, I find that I’m more willing to work on what needs work.

What are some areas in your life that could use a little light??  A sin that you’ve been holding onto, tucking away in the dark?  Something you’re confused about? Something that is troubling you?  Don’t fear.  Just ask God to reveal himself to you and he will.