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 ).
Looking around my neighborhood this January evening there are many families, like ours, whose homes still brightly adorn their Christmas lights. We are one of the first households to put ours up, as well as the last to remove them. Their vibrancy is such a comfort to me at a time of year when the days are short, the nights are long, and the skies are cold. Yet in the midst of all the festivities of the 2009 holiday season I found myself wandering in mental and emotional darkness. Was your vision was obscured too?
In essence, I let the cares of the world weigh heavy on my small shoulders and exhaust me to the point of tears. Perhaps you were like me; one who took her eyes off of the Creator of light while trying to conjure it up yourself. Praise God for forgiveness of confessed sin, and a revelation of what my New Years resolution should be. Maybe it is your resolution too.
It’s hard for me to resist entertaining any time of year. Much as I’ve tried to shelve it, my God-given gift of hospitality cannot stay dormant for long. The promptings of my heart always lead me to volunteer to host an array of celebrations. Many times the Lord uses these occasions as ministry opportunities. My dilemma this Christmas wasn’t the parties we hosted, but my frustration over lost peace and joy. I’d shut down my spiritual lantern.
The demands of work were robbing me, and I was angry. I wanted a slower pace to be able to delight in the mystery of the nativity more. Instead, my mind was cluttered with an endless list of tasks to complete. The harder I worked the further away from soul-rest and physical rejuvenation I ended up. My reaction to life’s hectic pace sent me out of balance.
Crying out to Jesus I confessed my anger and waywardness. To an outside observer I was functioning normally, but God and I knew the real truth. My energy was drained because I’d rushed through the most important part of the day, my quiet time with God, in my haste to tackle my to-do list. Falsely believing my normally perky personality was enough to carry me through the onslaught of Satan’s daily attacks, I neglected to let my Savior fight the battles for me. His light implanted in my spirit was dimmed.
Thankfully, God left me in the blackness long enough for me to discover that all my best attempts cannot create a light that sustains life. Only the Giver of all life Himself can. Today Jesus illuminated my bleak thoughts with John 8:12: 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, and Genesis 1:3-4: And God said, “Let there be light, and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and He separated the light from the darkness.”
Several truths brightened my mind after pondering those Scriptures. First, the source of the light’s existence is God, not I. Second, God said the light is good and the light of the world is Jesus. Third, God separated the light from the darkness. This indicates a life of distinction that shines, not one that blends in with the dark side. When light mixes with blackness it becomes gray, just like my mood was. If I want more peace, joy and fulfillment my luminary has to be the Holy Spirit. I project whatever is inside me, good or evil. The only good light is the heavenly One, the holy One Jesus Christ.
As God’s daughter I am asking Him to ignite my soul afire with His passions for my life so the only resolutions I make and keep are the ones He’s purposed for my life. May we all desire His glory overshadow the demands and pleasures of earth so that the glow beaming out of us is ever-pointing others to Jesus. In a world that is often gloomy, I pray many in 2010 will be drawn out of their tunnel as they believe these words: 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 ).
Your fellow sojourner,
Hi Mary friend! Thanks for visiting my blog...uh...could you go back? I posted it by mistake before it was finished. :)
ReplyDeleteI appreciate what you shared in this post, especially the part about God separating the light from the darkness, not blending in with it. I've had a lot of gray times in the past couple years, but I feel the light brightening up a little more each day! I love you! How's it going with the book? Love, Lee