It is a scientific fact that darkness and light cannot exist in the same place. In fact, darkness is just the absence of light, so, if there is light, there is no darkness. Shadow can exist as something blocks the light but shadows are still impacted by it. Remember the last big solar eclipse? Even if you were in the complete blackout zone, it was not dark. For it to be truly dark, no light can exist.
John 1 describes Christ as the light.
“In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”
(John 1:4-5 NIV)
Jesus, himself, reveals himself as the Light of the world.
“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 NIV)
When Jesus talks about the church he says that the gates of hell will not be able to keep it out. This makes total sense because Jesus left us here in his place. He is with us. He is light. We are light. Hell is darkness, the absence of light, but when the light approaches it, darkness flees. Hell cannot stand against the Light of life that shines out of us.
We should not get smug about this, though, because darkness can still have impact. Shadow exists, even in a well-lighted room. To rid our world of shadow, we must remove the obstacles that block the light. Some of those obstacles are within ourselves and some are presented by things and people outside of us. This takes intentional effort on our part. We must humble ourselves and admit our selfishness and pride, asking God to forgive us. We must also confront, in love and humility, those around us who put obstacles before the light. This is a task that will not be complete until Christ returns and dispels all darkness and shadow.
Consider these three ways to bring Light to wherever you are.
1) Smile – There is nothing like a smile to lighten any space. A genuine smile is an outward sign of inward joy, that joy that goes beyond understanding. When you smile, others around you will smile as well. It’s contagious!
2) Praise – Encouraging someone by telling them they are doing a great job brings light into their life. It doesn’t matter if this person is a friend or someone you haven’t previously met. It doesn’t matter what their day has been like up to that moment. Your praise and encouragement will make a difference.
3) Love – Sacrificing yourself for someone else, the love that Jesus demonstrated for us brings the most powerful light into the world around you. Loving someone that way is completely counter to the way the world operates on a day to day basis. Sacrificial love is like a flash of lightning in the middle of the darkness of the storm. As you pour yourself out for someone else, you are being Jesus to them and there is no better way to represent him than that!
Be the light in your world by living Jesus every day. Smile widely. Praise lavishly. Love deeply.
Great insights. the statement that in hell there is no light, is a powerful statement. I am struck this morning by the suicide of Anthony Bordain. He seemed so together on his excellent show. In such despair, death must seem like a relief from the inner torment. But if society still believed in the reality of hell, I wonder if it would affect the thinking that suicide is an escape to something better. Another thought I have on your post is that your list of 3 ways to bring light could be extended. Godly character brings light, especially in our day and age. Personal holiness, speaking the truth, persevering in trial — we don’t think of these as reachingout perhaps, but our world needs to see these forms of light in we who follow Jesus.
Thanks for taking the time to comment on our post, Bob. We appreciate you! Thank you, so much, for adding other layers to how we can be the light in the darkness wherever we are.