“For once your were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light! For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true.” (Ephesians 5:8-9 NLT)
Notice a few things about the above verse that are easy to miss. First, before we came to know the Lord Jesus, we didn’t just walk in darkness, we “were full of darkness.” What does that mean? Imagine a large area, perhaps the size of a football field. The field is covered in sharp pieces of broken glass except for a curving strip about the width of your foot. How successful would you be trying to follow that narrow path barefoot in complete darkness? That’s life on this planet without Jesus.
We can’t escape what we are. As hard as we try to think right thoughts, make right decisions, or move in right directions, wherever we “step,” it only seems to bring pain, heartache, and negative consequences. “Yeh, but what about all the people who have lucrative careers, who can travel the world and live in luxury?” If “happiness” is your goal, having a lot of money can make it easier, but not necessarily enable you to reach your goal. Money alone doesn’t illuminate our path; in many cases it only contributes to the darkness. Money isn’t the issue, darkness is.
Before Christ we ARE darkness, which means regardless of how much money we have, our judgment is clouded and the use of that money can be skewed in some very unhealthy ways. Is that to say that people with money never support humanitarian causes? No, of course not, what it means is their money can never get them to heaven. All the money in the world cannot buy someone the Lord’s forgiveness.
On the other hand, those of us who have yielded our lives to the Lord are not simply walking in the light, we ARE light. Jesus said to those of us who hunger for Him: “You are the light of the world – like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden.” (Matthew 5:14) Think about the reason for light. Isn’t it to show the way? Isn’t it to light the path, to not only enable us to stay on the right path, but to help others find their way as well?
The reason the Lord allows us to turn from darkness to light isn’t about us, it’s about Him. He’s the Light of the world. He came into a world filled with darkness and brought light to those who were willing to see it and embrace it, but the world hated Him and did all within their power to snuff out His light, but they couldn’t.
Satan couldn’t persuade Him, sin couldn’t tempt Him, death and the grave couldn’t hold Him so on Easter Sunday when He burst forth from the grave, the world that lay in darkness, once again burst forth in holy light that cannot now be extinguished. That’s the light we become when we open our hearts and lives to Jesus. But we cannot be light and continue to walk in darkness; we cannot grow in the Light when we are continually seeking to hide in the darkness. Paul addresses this in 2 Corinthians.
So, the question becomes: Where are you? Are you living and spreading darkness or light; despair or hope; separation from God or being united with Him? Regardless of how much of this world’s resources we acquire, they will not satisfy long term. Only Jesus can fill the God-shaped void the Lord built into our life when He created us.
Please open your life to Him today. Haven’t you walked in the darkness long enough? Please tap on ANewStory.com. and let Ron Hutchcraft walk you through a simple path from darkness to light.
Blessings, Ed 😊
Walking With Jesus 