I have come as a light to shine in this dark world, so that all who put their trust in me will no longer remain in the dark.
John 12:46 (NLT)
When I was a kid, I had a fear. It’s a pretty common fear for children, so I don’t feel too ashamed sharing it with you. I was really, really afraid of the dark. I wasn’t so much afraid of the dark, but of what could be lurking in the dark. If I couldn’t see, then the unknown would take over my imagination. Every night, I had to sleep with a nightlight on in my room.
My older brother, always the helpful one, took it upon himself to help cure me of my fears, one night. He told me that he knew the secret to overcoming my fear of the dark. So, he led me back to my room, with a smile on his face. He had me take a seat on my bed. He removed the lightbulb from my ceiling light and the night light from the power outlet. With a wry grin, he then ran out of the room and slammed the door shut. It was pitch black. I freaked out. I was screaming, kicking at the door (which he was holding shut) and begging him to let me out. It was to no avail. He wasn’t going to open it.
After about 10 to 20 minutes, I eventually calmed down and realized that nothing bad was happening to me in the darkness. My fear and anxiety drifted away. I was OK. I knocked on the door and told my brother I was good. He let me out. I no longer required a nightlight.
In our day and age, darkness takes many different forms. However, Jesus, as He speaks in this verse, is talking about a spiritual darkness. This darkness causes us not to see clearly, to be consumed by evil thoughts and actions, to feel like we are stumbling through life, to have the character of God be obscured by the black. In short, we are spiritually blind and lost.
However, when we fix our eyes on Jesus, the brightest spiritual light in the universe, He destroys the darkness. No longer do we stumble around. No longer do we have a fear of the unknown. No longer is the character of God obscured from our vision. Instead, we see clearly. We have hope. We have direction. We have understanding. We have life. Instead of fear, we are consumed by the light of love.
Let the light of Christ pierce the veil of darkness that surrounds you. Let His light shine into your life each and every day.
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