This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. 1 John 1: 5 [NIV]
God is light. John is not saying that God is like light: he is telling us that light is the very essence of who God is. In what way is God light?
God began creation with light. [Genesis 1: 3] Without light there would be no life.
Light guides us in our lives. Without light we would stumble and fall.
Light is a metaphor for God's purity and holiness. There is no darkness in him – no sin, no mistakes, nothing second best.
And yet, incredibly, Jesus calls us the light of the world [Matthew 5: 14].
We are his new creation; we are guiding lights for people in a dark world; our lives should be pure and holy. Yet our light does not come from inside us, but from God. We are called to reflect God's light out into the world around us.
The philosopher C E M Joad was for many years a very vocal agnostic but, towards the end of his life, he became a Christian. He wrote,
Trying to find happiness from this world is like trying to light up a dark room by lighting a succession of matches. You strike one, it flickers for a moment, and then it goes out. But when you find Jesus Christ, it's as though the whole room's suddenly flooded with light.
Dear Lord, please help me to shine for you today.
David Long
No comments:
Post a Comment