Prayer: Dear Lord, I want to walk in light today. I want You to show me where I may be in the dark because I want to be in the light. Thank You for showing me the truth about myself. Amen
Scripture: 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. Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. Ephesians 5:8-11 NIV
In a hurry to clean the kitchen one morning, I spilled water across the floor. Standing with my back to the light, I could not find the mess to wipe it up. Thinking I had cleaned up the spill, I walked back across the area only to slip through more water and soak my socks in unseen puddles. Only when I stood facing the light with the spill between the light and me, could I see the whole mess and clean it all up.
I stopped to think how my sin was like these puddles. When I do not face my sin in “the light,” God’s light, I may miss the sin. I can be blinded by darkness, which leads me to try to justify my sin using excuses, blame, or even comparing myself to others. When we turn around and face God with His commands, His standards and His precepts, we can clearly see all of our sin so that we may feel sorrow, ask forgiveness, and repent. It is only when we turn towards God that the messes (sin) in our lives can be completely wiped away.
Without His light and forgiveness we are bound to find ourselves slipping into or even soaked by the mess of our sin once again. Perhaps you can identify a time in your life when you did not turn towards “the light” in a certain situation or decision. What were the results? What finally turned you around? What are some common “blind spots” you experience in your school? Do you see students or even coworkers justifying sin as “politically correct” or “easier than making waves?” One excuse that seems to span the generations is “everyone else is doing it.” Have you heard that lately? What could you do to shed a little “light” on the subject? What will you do?
Think about an area of your life or your family’s life that you need God to shine a little light on right now. It might be a TV show, movie rating, books, magazines, language, friends, addiction, or something else that God can address in your life. Find a prayer partner with whom to share in confidence your need for God’s light.
Copyright Kathy Branzell. Email info@christianeducators.org
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