Can you think of a time in your life when you were afraid of the dark? Maybe you have childhood memories of thinking monsters lived under your bed or in your closet; maybe even today you still use a nightlight in your room to ward off the fear of darkness. Isn’t it amazing that just a soft glow of a night light, the subtle shining of the moon, a burning candle, a crack in the curtain letting in a ray of sun…such small things can cast away the darkness?
I remember a family trip from several years ago where we went on a tour of mining caves and tunnels. Just when we were in the deepest, darkest part of the cave, the guide had us all turn off our flashlights. The blackness was almost tangible. Then the guide lit a candle and within a minute, as our eyes adjusted, we could actually see quite well.
Fear of the dark is a reality for many; but God doesn’t want us to live in a fearful state! And we need never be without light in our lives…
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
As I’ve grown in my Faith, and have come to know more and more Christians, I am continually amazed by the variety of “faith stories” that exist. Each person’s journey to know Christ is so unique, yet ultimately, they share the same underlying truth: God loves us.
Some faith stories are like a light on/off switch, when a person can clearly point to an event, a moment, when her life was given to Christ. For others, the light has just been there all their lives, and they can’t remember a time without it. And some faith stories, like mine, are more like a light controlled by a dimmer switch. Let me explain why…
As a young child, until about age seven, my family attended a church where I was baptized and attended Sunday school. I have just a few vague memories of my experiences during that time – remembrances of joy, peace, and belonging. However, after my parents’ divorce, I no longer was brought to a church nor was part of a faith community. No one in my home prayed regularly, read the bible, or went to church consistently.
During these years, I held onto a belief in God from my childhood but was not growing in faith and did not know Him personally. My exposure to God as a child engaged the dimmer switch to an “On” position, but then just sat frozen in that state of dimness for many, many years.
Throughout college and my early adulthood, new friends brought me to places of worship that gave me glimpses of what I was looking for, and then as my husband and I explored places of worship in our new town, I was drawn to a church that represented the feelings of peace and belonging from my childhood.
I started attending worship on a regular basis, became involved in a few activities, and attempted to read the Bible on several occasions. As I started to understand our triune God, Jesus became more and more real to me.
These experiences as a young adult turned the dial on the dimmer switch just ever so slightly each time, casting more and more light into my life.
Then in a period of a few short months…
I had an amazing dream where God showed me the world as He sees it – such vibrant colors and beauty! Oh how I wanted to see the world that way too! (Read more about this in my post: Vision)
On another day, I experienced an emotional breakthrough as I drove into the parking lot at work when a pop song came on the radio with the words “I’m everything I am because you loved me”….the tears streamed down as I finally fully embraced God’s love for me. (Read more about this in my post: Because)
These events spun the dimmer switch drastically, such that the brightness nearly blinded me! And now I am a Child of this Light, and Jesus is the Source of that Light.
There’s more to this story about the light of the world. Scripture also says:
While I am in the world, I am the light of the World. John 9:5
This verse has a slight twist – Jesus has told us that He is the light of the world, but now he’s telling us that He is the light only while He’s in the world. If He isn’t the light, then what? The answer is found in scripture from the Sermon on the Mount.
[Jesus says] “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.” Matthew 5:14
On the surface, these verses seem to contradict – Jesus is the light of the world, but then he tells us that we are the light of the world?
Putting these scriptures together… Jesus is the Source of Light, as light cannot exist without a source. For his light to shine everywhere in the world, we are to be carriers and reflectors of His Light.
How do I bring the light to the world? How do I become his reflector?
The simple answer: Become more like Him.
- Read the Bible regularly. Dig into His Word. So much can be learned about Jesus in the Bible. And Jesus himself quoted scripture during his life on earth, and used it to keep Satan at bay when he was tempted in the wilderness – with each temptation, Jesus response was “it is written…”
- Pray – spend time with God on a daily basis. Jesus was often in prayer, and the Gospels are full of examples of Jesus praying…on a mountainside, in a garden, alone and in groups. He taught his disciples how to pray.
- Serve – use our gifts and talents to serve others, to help build the church, to make an impact in our school, family, community. Jesus modelled this in his life. He tells his disciples in Matthew 20:28 “Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve…”
- Love like Jesus did – with extreme compassion, kindness, gentleness. Jesus’ whole life was about Love, not just about how he lived, but in his birth and his death.
Melissa Bane Sevier says “If we are the light, not just through our acts, but through our very character, we encourage people to see. With God’s aid, we help others notice both the beauty and the need around them.”
By focusing on Jesus, I find courage to face fears of darkness. By accepting Jesus as my Savior, He has become my light. By becoming more like Him, I am bringing His light to the world.
Jesus faced the ultimate darkness – three days of pure blackness from his last breath on the cross to his resurrection. Because He conquered this darkness and because His Light lives in me, I can face any darkness and become a light for others.
When I think about Christ being the Light of the World, lyrics from a seventy’s song ring in my ears:
“You light up my life” by Debby Boone
So many nights I’d sit by my window
Waiting for someone to sing me his song
So many dreams I kept deep inside me
Alone in the dark but now you’ve come along
And you light up my life
You give me hope to carry on
You light up my days and fill my nights with song
Although it was written by Joseph Brooks as a love song, the devout Boone interpreted it as inspirational and proclaimed that it was instead God who “lit up her life.”
I feel the same way Debby!