Illumination

The Christmas season is my favorite time of the year for many reasons, one of them being the lights! Over the weekend, my boys and I went to see a Christmas lights display, and it was magical, as always.

Although we experience the longest period of darkness this time of the year, it is also the primary occasion for bright and beautiful light displays.

Light is inviting, a symbol of hope in the darkness. It draws the eye and lures us toward it, just like a moth to a flame. The Star of Bethlehem guided the wise men to the Savior. “After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, ‘Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him,’” (Matthew 2:1-2).

Light produces feelings of comfort. Light is associated with warmth. Light can be awe-inspiring, such as witnessing the northern lights, fireworks, a star-filled night sky, or Clark Griswold-like Christmas lights. The lowly shepherds in the Bible were awed and even frightened when they witnessed heavenly light. “And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified,” (Luke 2:8-9). 

Light is important, even vital. It is illuminating, enabling us to observe, maneuver around, and discover more about our world. Light aids our sleep-wake cycles, allows for greater productivity in our daily lives, and can improve our moods. Natural light from the sun makes life feasible by providing energy and nutrients for plants to grow. It also helps us produce vitamin D which aids our muscles, strengthens our bones by improving calcium absorption, and supports our immune systems.

Just as we physically depend on light for survival, divine light is essential for our spiritual life. When we bask in the light of Jesus, it revives us, illuminates truth, provides knowledge, comforts us, and strengthens our relationship with Him. “For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ,” (2 Corinthians 4:6).

As Christians, we have the light of Jesus inside of us because when we accepted His salvation, we became His. The Lord instructs us to be that light for others, drawing them to us and illuminating the love of Christ both internally and externally through our thoughts, words, and actions, not just during the Christmas season, but every day, for as long as we live on this earth.

2 Corinthians 4:4-5 explains that it is up to us to convey the gospel to nonbelievers so that they too may gain salvation and the light of Jesus. If no one shares God’s Word with them, they will remain in the dark, never experiencing the radiance of Christ. “The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake.”

Endeavor to be a light today and every day to all those you encounter. Illuminate the love of Jesus, and within this dark world, guide those seeking light to Him.

Banish the Darkness

There is a reason why so many people are afraid of the dark. Darkness is the absence of light. It is mysterious, full of the unknown. You can’t see in the dark, so it can be dangerous to traverse. You can get lost in the dark or injured because the path ahead of you is obscure.

Spiritual darkness is the same. It’s not a pleasant place to find yourself and is home to Satan. It is filled with feelings of despair, chaos, fear, insecurity, anger, jealousy, and hate. The Bible warns us in 1 Peter 5:8 to, “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”

We are currently in the season of Advent, marked by the four pillars of hope, peace, joy, and love. Advent is a time to both celebrate the birth of Jesus, the Light of the World, and to acknowledge and prepare for Jesus’ second coming.

As we reflect on our own spiritual journeys this Christmas, we must look to the example and teachings of Jesus who lit the path for us to follow. If we’re obedient to stay near the Light, He will guide us closer to Him and keep the darkness at bay.

Although this is a season of light and love, darkness can still creep into the nooks and crannies of our lives, shadowing the good things. Satan doesn’t go on break in December. In fact, because it is a period of celebration for Jesus, I would argue that Satan probably works the hardest to douse the light this time of year.

We all have obstacles in our lives that we must overcome, some more challenging than others. If you’re going through trials today, I’m praying for you. I have been struggling this season with dark influences, specifically three individuals who try to make my life as difficult as possible. No matter how positive I strive to remain or how hard I work to overcome their attempts to bring me down, they persistently do things to try to extinguish the light in my life. Therefore, it’s been hard to focus on the light this Christmas.

Ephesians 5:11-14 instructs us to, “Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. But everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light. This is why it is said: ‘Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.’”

When certain people or specific things diminish your light, causing you to sin and turn into someone you’re normally not, it’s time to banish that negativity from your life. Instead, surround yourself with others whose own light illuminates yours further. “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord,” (Ephesians 5:8-10).

I am determined to do this…purge people and things causing strife. While unfortunately I cannot avoid all those who give me grief, I can some. I have eliminated those individuals from my life because they bring no positive value to it. They try to douse my light. However, as the children’s song goes, This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine…won’t let Satan blow it out…hide it under a bushel, No!…let it shine ‘til Jesus comes, I’m gonna let it shine. Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.

This can be difficult to do at times, but we must strive to reflect the light of Jesus even when it’s hard. Pray for those who oppress you, “to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me,” as Jesus instructed Paul in Acts 26:18. Also, pray for the strength and patience to withstand the trials and to continue to shine.

When you feel low, as if your obstacles are insurmountable, or when you feel unworthy of God’s grace because of the sin in your life, know that even the tiniest flame illuminates in the night. That’s all it takes…one tiny spark that can grow to banish the darkness.

Light of the World

Light of the world, treasure of Heaven. Brilliant like the stars, in the wintery sky. Joy of the Father, reach through the darkness. Shine across the earth, send the shadows to flight.

Light of the world, from the beginning, the tragedies of time, were no match for Your love. From great heights of glory, You saw my story. God, You entered in and became one of us.

Sing hallelujah, sing hallelujah. Sing hallelujah for the things He has done. Come and adore Him, bow down before Him. Sing hallelujah to the light of the world.

These are the beginning lines to Light of the World by the band We the Kingdom, one of my favorite songs to sing during Christmas time. If you haven’t heard it, I encourage you to listen to the full version. I love it!

It is easy to get distracted and dismayed this time of year with the hustle and bustle of gift shopping, decorating, traveling, baking, and party planning, in addition to all the normal end-of-the-year chaos. We tend to remain so busy that we miss out on the important parts of Christmas, specifically CHRIST.

Jesus is the Light of the World, and I can state this faithfully and boldly because Jesus Himself proclaimed it. “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 the Light, Jesus is a beacon to us. You can read over and over in the gospels how people were drawn to Him. They gave up everything they had and followed Him. “As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. ‘Come, follow me,’ Jesus said, ‘and I will send you out to fish for people.’ At once they left their nets and followed him. When he had gone a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John in a boat, preparing their nets. Without delay he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed him,” (Mark 1:16-20).

They gathered around Him just to catch a glimpse of his radiance and hear his brilliant counsel. “Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the lake, and a large crowd from Galilee followed. When they heard about all he was doing, many people came to him from Judea, Jerusalem, Idumea, and the regions across the Jordan and around Tyre and Sidon. Because of the crowd he told his disciples to have a small boat ready for him, to keep the people from crowding him,” (Mark 3:7-9). We also see this in Luke 10 as Mary, sister of Martha, put aside her anxieties, ignored all trivial tasks, and sat at Jesus’ feet soaking in His wisdom.

Even the outcasts found courage around Him calling out to Him in the hope that He would shine upon them and heal them of their infirmities. “As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance and called out in a loud voice, ‘Jesus, Master, have pity on us!’ When he saw them, he said, ‘Go, show yourselves to the priests.’ And as they went, they were cleansed,” (Luke 17:12-14).

The woman with the bleeding disorder didn’t even speak to Jesus, but simply reached out to touch the warmth of His garment. “She said to herself, ‘If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed,’” (Matthew 9:21).

Christmas can be a difficult time for many people, especially when it brings about bad memories or when family and friends are absent. Many of my acquaintances have recently lost loved ones, so this Christmas will be the first without those special individuals. My heart goes out to each of you who may be facing this situation. I hope and pray that instead of falling into the trap of sorrow and depression this Christmas, you instead focus on the joy and love of those you’ve said goodbye to this year, keeping their memories and traditions alive by sharing them with the ones you hold dear.

If you know anyone struggling this Christmas time, be a beacon for them and reach out in love. Matthew 5:14-16 reminds us that because we accepted Jesus as our Savior, we are now part of His eternal light. “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”

When we face struggles in life, our light can dim because we’re human. We all have faults. We all fail. We are all sinners. However, please never let your light be extinguished. Seek out Jesus and other believers who can rekindle your inner flame.  “For the Lord God is our sun and our shield. He gives us grace and glory. The Lord will withhold no good thing from those who do what is right,” (Psalm 84:11).

Although we can’t often see exactly where we’re headed in life, stay in the light and keep moving forward. Ignore the unknown, banish the darkness, and trust in the Light that is Jesus to get you safely to your destination. “For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins,” (Colossians 1:13-14).

Have a blessed week and a very Merry CHRISTmas!

-Becky