Light

When I look at houses, one of the first things I look for is windows. I love it when there is lots of natural light. Not just because it saves on the electric light bill, but because it brightens my spirits. Did you know that light was the first gift that God gave to the earth?

Here’s the account from Genesis. In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. God saw that the light was good (Genesis 1:1-4, NIV).

So light was a priority with God. No wonder! God is Light. That’s the theme of John’s message. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it (John 1:4). This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all (I John 1:5). Jesus 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).

When we trust Christ to be our Savior and Lord, He (through His Spirit) enlightens us. Paul used the contrast between darkness and light to emphasize this truth. God had called him to witness to the Gentiles in order “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 26:18). For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ (II Corinthians 4:6).

So what? What is the point? It is that we must be reminded that since we are “children of light,” we should shine like lights in a dark world. As Paul said, “You were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light” (Ephesians 5:8). “Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, ‘children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.’ Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky as you hold firmly to the word of life” (Philippians 2:14-16).

That’s a challenge, isn’t it! And all this makes me wonder why so many modern church auditoriums are dark like theaters. Shouldn’t we be different, since we are “children of light?” How do we show the “Light of life” to those around us? Are they drawn to the beautiful, uplifting Light shining from within us?