DEVOTIONAL: Be the Light in the Darkness
BE THE LIGHT IN THE DARKNESS
How can we be a light in a dark world? In the bible, Jesus taught His followers how to treat people. John 15:12 “This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.” So that means he has commanded us to love everyone! When you disagree with someones view, your nature is to show animosity toward them. When someone hurts you, your human nature wants to hurt them in return. When someone doesn’t like you, your tendency is to not like them either. But Jesus says in the word that we are to Love our enemies. “But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you,” Matthew 5:44 This can be a hard one but yes, that means we must be kind, forgive, show love, be patient, be generous and show Jesus in all that we do EVEN to those who we disagree with, use or persecute us. I will extend that even further….we must be the light to everyone especially to those who are strangers and we don’t even know. People are watching and we must show them the love of Jesus!
In a world where there is so much hate, God is calling us to be the light that shows love to all. Love can change hearts, change lives and bring hope. Knowing that God loves us far beyond all limits should compel us to love others in the same way and be the light in a dark world. It should compel us to share our light of Christ to all we meet, in every post we type and in every word that is spoken…..yes, I said every post that is written! Remember….the world is watching how we act and how we react so be the light. Will they see the light and see Jesus through my actions? If they will not see Jesus in what I am saying then obviously….I shouldn’t say it, do it or post it!
There is something pretty phenomenal when you do good to your enemies or someone who has hurt you because that one act of love could be what changes your life and their life forever. LOVE breaks the barriers of indifference and brings people together. Loving others is a trademark of being a child of God and shows Christ living in you. Love is not optional if we call ourselves HIS child. When we love others as Jesus loved others we are also showing love TO our loving Savior!
We have absolutely no excuses when it comes to loving our enemies because any degree of love that God has called us to extend to others, He has already extended to us in a way far deeper than our human minds can even hope to comprehend. We must be the light to our enemies. We can’t wait on them to love us first or extend forgiveness first but we have to extend the very love and forgiveness that God extends to us each and every day. I believe Martin Luther King Jr said it best when he said, “Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that.” Be the light in the darkness and live out the love of God even in response to the suffering we may receive at times from others.
I know you are saying well you don’t know what he/she did to me, you don’t understand the gravity of my hurt, you don’t know the pain that was inflicted on my heart….you are right, but as a Christian we can’t simply know to love our enemies, we must act. We must overcome the animosity that has hardened our hearts and take the first step to be the light and extend the love even to the unlovely. We can do that through Christ who loved us first. What happens when you turn on the light….darkness goes away! Imagine what the world would like if we could be that light that drives away the darkness! Next time you are faced with choosing light or darkness….choose light/love as your choice and you will certainly see victory. You can always overcome hate with love and evil with good so BE THE LIGHT!
Prayer:
Dear Heavenly Father, the world today is being overcome in darkness. Lord, go before me today, guide me and help me to be the light in the darkness so that your hope can shine in the darkness and those around me will be blessed. Manifest your love and power within me as it ignites my soul so that I can love those who have hurt me so that I can share the love of Christ through your love and forgiveness. I pray that you will extend your grace to me so that I would be kind, patient, forgiving and considerate. Use me as a vessel of your glory so that every person I come in contact with can see your light living in me and that they may find their way to you through me. In Jesus name I pray….AMEN!
Bible verses on being the light
Romans 13:12
“The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light.”
Romans 13:9-10
“You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.”
Matthew 5:16
“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”
1 John 4:20-21
If anyone says, “I love Gd,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother who he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from him; whoever loves God must also love his brother.