Where Are You Walking?
Read 1 John 1:5-10.
Last night, I was worshipping online up in my computer room. When the service started, it was still light outside, but by the time the service was over, I turned off the light in the room to go downstairs and discovered it had gotten dark outside. Really dark. No one else was home, so there were no other lights on in my house, and I couldn't see a thing. Our neighborhood gets really, really dark at night. Since we're out in the "county," there are very few street lights. Most of us turn on our outside lights to help dispel the darkness, but since I hadn't done that yet, I couldn't see a thing in or around our house.
I thought of that as I read today's Scripture passage, and how we have a choice of where we walk. In most places, and in most neighborhoods, even at night there is some sort of light around. We make a choice of whether or not we're going to walk in the light or in the darkness.
John makes that same distinction in his opening remarks to his readers. God is light, he says. God does not deal in darkness; he does not deal in all the things we often connect with darkness: deceptions, stumblings, hiddenness. God is light; what he has to offer is all revealed, out in the open. John says the choice is ours, though. We can choose light or darkness. However, he says, if we choose to walk in the darkness, we can have no fellowship, no relationship, with God. In fact, part of walking in darkness is thinking or believing we have no sin. That's a lie, which is part of the culture of darkness, and it's a lie that keeps us believing we don't need God anyway.
The good news is this: light will always overcome and banish darkness. The light will win out over darkness every time. Once I turned on a light or two, my house and neighborhood were transformed. I could see where I was walking. I suddenly knew where the dangers were. Without the light, I could have stumbled, fallen, or otherwise really hurt myself. With the light, I could walk more safely.
Not only does walking in the light give us a relationship with God, it also gives us a relationship with each other. Can you imagine being connected to people in relationships where light shines, where there is no deceit, no hiddenness, no brokenness? No, we can't because in this world, even in our most intimate relationships, there is always some measure of all of that. This world and our relationships in it are fallen. But as we walk more and more in the light, as we allow the light of Christ to inform our relationships, we are able to draw closer to one another not because of anything we've done but only because of the light we're both walking in.
So...today, where are you walking? Darkness or light? It is your choice.
Last night, I was worshipping online up in my computer room. When the service started, it was still light outside, but by the time the service was over, I turned off the light in the room to go downstairs and discovered it had gotten dark outside. Really dark. No one else was home, so there were no other lights on in my house, and I couldn't see a thing. Our neighborhood gets really, really dark at night. Since we're out in the "county," there are very few street lights. Most of us turn on our outside lights to help dispel the darkness, but since I hadn't done that yet, I couldn't see a thing in or around our house.
I thought of that as I read today's Scripture passage, and how we have a choice of where we walk. In most places, and in most neighborhoods, even at night there is some sort of light around. We make a choice of whether or not we're going to walk in the light or in the darkness.
John makes that same distinction in his opening remarks to his readers. God is light, he says. God does not deal in darkness; he does not deal in all the things we often connect with darkness: deceptions, stumblings, hiddenness. God is light; what he has to offer is all revealed, out in the open. John says the choice is ours, though. We can choose light or darkness. However, he says, if we choose to walk in the darkness, we can have no fellowship, no relationship, with God. In fact, part of walking in darkness is thinking or believing we have no sin. That's a lie, which is part of the culture of darkness, and it's a lie that keeps us believing we don't need God anyway.
The good news is this: light will always overcome and banish darkness. The light will win out over darkness every time. Once I turned on a light or two, my house and neighborhood were transformed. I could see where I was walking. I suddenly knew where the dangers were. Without the light, I could have stumbled, fallen, or otherwise really hurt myself. With the light, I could walk more safely.
Not only does walking in the light give us a relationship with God, it also gives us a relationship with each other. Can you imagine being connected to people in relationships where light shines, where there is no deceit, no hiddenness, no brokenness? No, we can't because in this world, even in our most intimate relationships, there is always some measure of all of that. This world and our relationships in it are fallen. But as we walk more and more in the light, as we allow the light of Christ to inform our relationships, we are able to draw closer to one another not because of anything we've done but only because of the light we're both walking in.
So...today, where are you walking? Darkness or light? It is your choice.
Hello Dennis, My husband & I are full-time re & attend church with your wonderful parents! You are making Jesus SMILE as you work for Him!! God bless you & the ministry the Lord has entrusted into your care. Until He comes!!
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