Transcending Light
"In Him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in darkness, and darkness has not overcome it."
John 1:4-5
I was watching an episode of "Alone" recently and one of the contestants who was on the island, was out of range of sunlight.... he was desperate for just one ray of sunlight. He was cold, hungry, completely isolated, and depressed. He knew if he could just feel the warmth of the sun it would bring him vitality and joy which could help him finish strong. As believers we face the greatest challenge....Life.
This man's example is a great picture of what happens when we walk without His Light. We feel alone, cold, and hungry spiritually.....we long for one moment just to bask in the light of His presence were we could experience His warmth and rejuvenate our souls. So why is it that we choose darkness over light. Like this man, he had to climb up a steep hill with thik brush in order to reach the sunlight. This man had already made His camp, felt safe, and didn't recognize his need for the Light until he realized he was cold, isolated, and depressed. The word says that in Jesus is the light of all mankind and that darkness cannot overcome His light. Many are attracted to this display of light at various times and even invited it in our life only to retreat to the caverns that feel familiar and safe to us.
As believers we can get caught up in darkness when we start to look for comfort in the wrong places. We forget the power of His light to bring comfort.....life giving, life restoring, life freeing LIGHT! His promise is that darkness will not overcome us if we live in the light of His presence. We can choose in the midst of darkness to focus on His goodness, His perfect love (warmth), His peace, and His word which brings life and guides us through the darkness. He calls out to us "come to me all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest." As we come to him vulnerable with our concerns, fears, and failures, His presence sheds warm light over our soul and restores us again and again. I love that there is no limit to this invitation to come before Him.
The hurdle we all must cross is self. We believe the lie that to protect ourselves we must live in the shadows where no one can see us plainly. Jesus taking our sins on Himself is saying "Come out of the shadows I love you, I will be your light and awesomeness in you and you will not need to be ashamed of you no longer!" The choice is ours everyday to be powerful or a victim. Many say "I am not a victim" but they are living a lie of denial as they cover themselves with all kinds of protection devices and blame circumstances for their actions and situations. For some this is a reality, life has been unfair if there was such a thing, until you realize we all have sinned and deserve judgement if not for Jesus Christ taking our place.
Our fear of not being good enough draws us away from people and to rove our worth to people in the wrong ways. We find ourselves surrounded by a chaotic world of pleasing others or hiding from others with fronts. All because the brokenness of our soul is our identity, when God sees the heart or our inner man instead as our true identity. Who we are is deeper than the brokenness and this place of communion and partnership with Him is gold when the lights are turned on! Paul says we were "dead in sin" but made alive in Christ! This golden God breathed Spirit person is our true identity. That person that can speak peace back to ourselves and crucify it's disfunction with God's partnership.
We were made to commune there in our inner man. The word says it is being renewed day by day! Everything else is passing away. The brokenness we experience all of a sudden are not allowed to be our identity but our stewardship. We no longer need to hide from others or pull on them because God is our source in our inner man. Our hiding is now in Him. As the word says we are seated with Him in heavenly places. Our comfort safety is derived from communion with Him. My sense of worth and well being are restored and I can be powerful again and not a victim.
