1 John 1:5-7, NKJV: “This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin”
God is light and NO darkness is in Him.
This is a powerful statement and worth considering in light of who we are as His children and how we are to live during this very dark season we find ourselves in.
Have you been observing everything going on and feeling like God has turned His back on humanity? It seems to me that darkness is prevailing all around us.
However…God is light.
As His children, you and I are also lights.
In Matthew 5:14, Jesus taught that we are the light of the world, a city set up on a hill. Have you ever witnessed the lights of a large city from a distance? Light pierces darkness and is seen for miles. Jesus wants your light to also shine bright and he tells us why in verse 16, “let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”
When you shine, God is glorified!
As we look back to 1 John 1, we find that when we let our light shine, we “have fellowship with one another.” Collectively then, we eliminate the darkness as we choose to shine. What could this do to our modern world crisis??? I have been praying about this quite a bit lately.
What would happen if Jesus followers began to really shine in their homes, communities and churches? How much darkness could we actually eliminate?
God’s light is perfect holiness, and unending love. I realize this may seem daunting to imagine living up to, but I am pressed to remind you that you can indeed live in holiness, and unending love. The Lord commands us to be holy as He is holy—as we live in our new creation status filled with Holy Spirit. This sort of thinking starts to overwhelm me a little bit. At this point in my considerations, I believe we each need to seek the Lord and start loving those around us like Jesus does in order to really let our lights shine. As we each begin to do this, we unite in the spiritual realm and push back the darkness.
Praise the Lord, for He never intended for us to navigate all of this in our own strength. He foreknew we would become overwhelmed and succumb to our emotions along the journey. This is why Jesus told the first disciples to remain in Jerusalem until the Helper came to them.
Your advocate is Jesus, and your Helper is God’s Holy Spirit. This is all made possible through the shed blood of Jesus. You are a brand new creation.
I hope to encourage you today to think fresh about your status as God’s son or daughter and the reality that you have His Spirit dwelling within you as your guide. How might you express the love of God in your home and local community? At Peacemaker Ministries, we have several resources to help you navigate difficult relationships. We even have a great app as a free resource to walk with you as you learn biblical peacemaking.
Father, I thank you for Your Word and the truths that help us see life from Your perspective, and ask that you enlarge our understanding of what it means to be Your light in the world around us. Help us love those You have placed in our circles of influence for Your glory.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen
May your light shine brightly today and throughout the week.
