If you follow my blogs, recently I’ve mentioned that the Lord has been clearly directing the topic He wants me to cover by repeatedly showing me a word or phrase. This past week, I’ve seen “light in the darkness” in Scriptures, devotionals, blogs, and finally today, I surrendered that I would write about this, even though I had a completely different topic in mind.
So here goes . . .
I know you’ve heard many sermons and possibly seen visuals of how it only takes one small light to illuminate the darkness. A great example is the flashlight on our cell phones. Just last night, I was stumbling over the snow in the dark, but whisking out my cell phone and turning on the flashlight immediately lit up my walking path.
Sometimes, just the screen light on our phone can help us navigate in the middle of the night on our way to the bathroom or kitchen.
Hubby and I leave a nightlight on in our bathroom and we have to shut our bedroom door because that little light reaches all the way into our bedroom and is too much light for me to sleep.
Then we’ve all enjoyed a candlelight Christmas Eve service where they issue everyone a candle and together we light up the dark room displaying the power of unified light.
In Scripture, darkness is referring to evil, but reminds us that the goodness of God always outshines the badness of Satan!
The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. John 1:5
Whoever walks in the dark does not know where they are going. John 12:35
[Tweet “Sadly many today are tripping and falling into a sinful, carnal, and wayward life guided by the father of darkness, Satan, instead of letting Jesus, the Light of the world, guide them.”]
Just like we stumble in physical darkness, sadly many today are tripping and falling into a sinful, carnal, and wayward life guided by the father of darkness, Satan, instead of letting Jesus, the Light of the world, guide them.
This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. John 3:19
Clearly, the choice is between Satan and Jesus. There is no middle ground. Many people don’t understand that if they’re not following Jesus, they’re following the world’s god, Satan.
This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. 1 John 1:5
So what does this mean in a practical sense for Christians?
Jesus resides in every believer’s heart. People should see His radiance in our face, eyes, smile, words, countenance, personality, actions . . . . Yes, Jesus expects you and me to reflect His light to brighten the world’s darkness.
And if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday. Isaiah 58:10
The people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.” Matthew 4:16
4 Ways to Let Your Light Shine
- Don’t deny the darkness.
[Tweet “Sometimes, we live in a cocoon of our own making. We’re busy with our lives, and we don’t want to acknowledge the dark evil and heartache we see in the world because then we might have to do something about it.”]
Sometimes, we live in a cocoon of our own making. We’re busy with our lives, and we don’t want to acknowledge the dark evil and heartache we see in the world because then we might have to do something about it. Getting involved might take our energy, time, finances, and emotions, and we’ve got enough on our plate already thank you very much.
If we stay preoccupied with our own problems, maybe we won’t have to get involved with the world’s horrors of abortion, human trafficking, drug epidemic, rising rate of suicides, homelessness and on and on. Let someone else help; it’s just too dark.
But God wants you and me to get involved even when it’s inconvenient, messy, hard, and everything in us screams not this time Lord! God says yes, you need to be My light to someone today.
I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them. Isaiah 42:16
- Have a heart and compassion for those who are in the dark because you once were in the dark.
Everyone has a past before we accepted Jesus as our Savior! One we’re not too proud of or wish we could go back and change. It’s hard to look at the dark side of our culture because we don’t want to remember or relive our dark days, but who better than us to reach people who are now where we once were. We need to light up the world by sharing our testimony that once I was blind, but now I see.
For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light. Ephesians 5:8
- God gave us His Light to shine not hide!
We might not be able to change the world, but we can change a life. Our shining light draws people to us. They want to know our source of joy and peace even in difficult circumstances. Invite them to have a cup of coffee or meal. Some may reject our light because they like the darkness, but we can take every opportunity to let them know we’re friends not foe. Pray that you can be a light and comfort to someone enveloped in infernal darkness.
‘I am sending you to them 18 to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’ Acts 26:17-19
- Share your source of light to help brighten this dark dreary world!
God chose you; you didn’t choose Him! We’re saved to help save the dark world, our world, wherever God has planted us. Salvation isn’t just for our own benefit. Aren’t we glad that someone, maybe many people, shared the joy and hope in knowing Jesus with us? Once we surrendered to Him, the glorious light of the Holy Spirit replaced the disparaging darkness in our heart.
[Tweet “God wants Bible-believing Christians to reflect the life-saving Light of Jesus everywhere everyday to everyone!”]
God wants you to reflect the life-saving Light of Jesus everywhere everyday to everyone!
Take advantage of every opportunity to be a glowing beacon of light for Jesus!
While I was having an ultrasound, the technician told me she was a newlywed and asked how many years I’d been married. When I told her we just celebrated 27 years, she asked: What’s your secret to a good long-lasting marriage?
My answer: When we married, we agreed to put Jesus Christ at the center of our marriage. Divorce would never be an option. It hasn’t always been easy. We’re a blended family, but Jesus holds us together.
Letting your light shine is that easy!
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 1 Peter 2:9
Another Kind of Darkness
In addition to physical, spiritual, and cultural darkness, there’s a deep dark hole many describe when they’re suffering from mental illness or depression. Some have even said that they feel separated from God and that’s why their world goes dark. This substantiates the Scriptures that without God in our life, or the sense that He is there with us, the light goes out. Hope evades us. Communion with God stops until His Light shines into the darkness again.
I wrote an article for Crosswalk How to Address Loneliness in a Connected World with suggestions of what we as Christian could do to help someone suffering from that kind of lonely darkness.
God has been showing me that my next book will center on the theme of the Loneliness Epidemic: Disconnected in a Connected World. That’s only a working title.
[Tweet “If you have a story to share about a time you’ve experienced loneliness or how you helped shine Jesus’ light into someone’s spiritual, emotional, mental, or physical loneliness or darkness, please message me.”]
If you have a story to share about a time you’ve experienced loneliness or how you helped shine Jesus’ light into someone’s spiritual, emotional, mental, or physical loneliness or darkness, [or you received that help] I would love to hear it. You can contact or email me at [email protected].
When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 8:12
JANET, Domestic abuse in the Christian community is another issue we need to care about. I volunteer with ARMS a Christian organization and was recently certified as a Domestic Abuse Advocate. Whenever I’ve had the opportunity to speak on this many women come to tell me their stories and urge me to keep speaking about it in the Christians community.
Poppy, thank you for letting your light shine into this dark secret so many women are suffering under and keeping awareness in front of the Christian community. We can make a difference! Bless you and your advocacy for hurting women and letting them know someone cares. Jesus cares!