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Into
the Light
Scripture: Ephesians 5:8, Matthew
5:14-16
Song: Into the Light /  Audio
"You were once darkness, but now you are
light in the Lord, walk as children of the light."
- Ephesians 5:8
There's nothing quite like a walk in the forest
in the middle of the night in total darkness. After enjoying an hour or so of fellowship
and laughter among friends around a campfire, it's not easy leaving the warmth and light
behind to venture into the darkness, not being able to see your own hand in front of your
face.
I remember working at a Christian Bible camp one summer during my college years. My cabin
was located on a hill across the river and through the woods in an isolated part of the
camp. Many times I would walk the dark path with a group of campers in tow - not a big
deal with the kids talking and laughing and shining their flashlights all around. But to
walk that path all alone on a dark night, well, you really start to feel the effects of
the all-consuming darkness.
I remember crossing the bridge one weekend and wading out into the utter blackness of the
dark forest, my eyes wide open, barely able to make out vague shapes of trees and spaces
of dark sky above. In front of me a wall of black seemed to push right up against my face.
I felt as if I was being smothered by a thick dark blanket. As I tentatively stumbled into
the darkness, every snap of a twig and every brush of a tree limb was magnified tenfold. I
began to recite Psalm 23 as I strained to keep my fears and fobias at bay. It was a walk
into utter darkness. I was walking blindly, cautiously, fearfully, unsure of my steps, not
knowing where I was going or what was up ahead.
How is it that we as Christians are called "children of light" and yet we walk
in darkness, fear, and sin so much of the time. How can it be that "the Light came
into the world and yet we loved the darkness rather than the light." (John 3:20)
Instead of walking in the light, so often we are content to dwell in darkness. Instead of
stepping out in faith, so often we are paralyzed by our fears. We blind ourselves with our
sins rather than claiming freedom and life through the Gospel of Christ. This was never
meant to be! In the book entitled, "In His Face", Bob Sorge writes, "God
never meant for us to tour hell on our way to heaven." The call to walk as children
of light is a call to holiness, faith, purity and life.
Walking in the light is perhaps too obvious for us. Isn't it as simple as putting one foot
in front of the other. Need I say more? But the full impact of what the Apostle Paul
states in Ephesian 5:8, "Walk as children of the light", is meant to be taken
with the understanding that "we once were living in darkness". Walking in the
light, by comparison, is completely different than walking in darkness. It's like night
and day, like black and white, dare I say, it's like dark and light! Walking in the light
is about faith not fear, trusting not doubting, it's about knowing not wishing, about
confidence not caution, about boldness not timidity.
I think at times we take the holy light of our faith in Christ for granted. We stop
walking in the light. We grow lazy. We slip into darkness, which to our worldly eyes is
enticing and pleasurable. After we've dabbled in the darkness for awhile it becomes
increasingly difficult to distinguish the difference between light and dark, between good
and evil. If we are not pulled back into the light, we gradually become accustomed to this
strange grayness, a mixture of good and evil, of truth and falsehood, of light and dark,
which ultimately impares our vision and spiritual insight.
It's a common fact that most automobile accidents occur around dawn or dusk, the time when
it is not completely dark or completely light. Objects are difficult to see because
everything tends to blend together. Animals know this too, which why some are most active
during these in-between times. They can blend into their surroundings and dissappear more
easily and thus escape predators. In fact, some predators do the same thing because they
can more easily move about undetected.
When we as Christians choose to live our spiritual lives in a sort of pre-dawn existence,
we are not being wise, we are putting outselves at risk. When we are not able to determine
things that are spiritually dangerous the enemy is most dangerous. When we live in this
middle ground of spiritual greyness, we put ourselves, our families, our friends, and
virtually everything at risk.
God calls us to walk in the light - to do the deeds that have been wrought in God. (John
3:21) Whether it is walking in the full light of God at mid-day or bearing a candle to the
dark corners of the world, we are called to walk in the light of God, to be the light of
the world, to shine brightly for all to see - our faith not hidden but lifted high - so
others might see and come to the light and know the salvation and life found in Christ.
(Matt. 5:14-16)
May we live and walk and breath and abide in the light of God - soaking up the words of
hope and life and love and grace found in Christ. May we be wary of sitting idly in
darkness and allowing our spiritual eyesight to become accustomed to the dark. May we
light a candle and hold it high so the darkness might be xposed and people might come to
the light of God.
May this be an encouragement for you to step into the light and walk as a child of the
light. "For you are the light of the world. You are a city set on a hill. Let your
light shine before others in such a way that they may see your good works and glorify your
Father in heaven." (Matt. 5:16)
For reflection:
How can I walk in the light of Christ each day?
How should we as children of light relate to our former darkness?
Think of someone who recently brought light into your life.
Think of a friend who is living in darkness or who is going through a dark time in life.
How can you shine the light of God into that person's life?
How can you and others as a group be a city on a hill? |
