By Deborah H.When we first moved into our house eighteen years ago, we had more than a few surprises. One of the more pleasant ones was the fact that in my youngest son’s room the previous owners had stuck glow-in-the-dark constellations on the ceiling. During the day, they absorbed light so that by night there was a soft glow of stars and moon above. There was something soothing about that faint glow.
Repeatedly, in the Scriptures, God gave us commands regarding light: His light. And I can’t help believing that when others see that light in us, they find it comforting and soothing as well. Like those glow-in-the-dark stickers on the ceiling, the light we give off is but a pale reflection of His wonderful, blinding light, but any reflection at all is a good thing.
“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light,” 2 Peter 2:9. He chose us, drew us out of the darkness of a sinful world, and brought us into the splendor of His glorious light. That, alone, is reason to offer up praises. But He has done so much more. He has lavished us with the riches of His grace, has provided for our needs, and has equipped us to be the means, feeble though we are in our own strength, to reach others still trapped in the darkness. We do that by reflecting His light, His love, and His holiness.
“Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life,” Philippians 2:14-16.
You see, we’re not going to blind anyone with our light, but we are to reflect HIS light and will stand out from the darkness in doing so. He has equipped us to shine like glimmering jewels of the night, bedecking the darkness with our warm, soft glow. In a way, His people accessorize the darkness around them like diamonds accessorize any ensemble. His children make the world around them more beautiful – not because WE are so beautiful but because we are to reflect HIS beauty.
My son, Scott, is responsible for this current meditation. He allowed me (or forced me, rather) to listen to a current gospel rapper do a “song” entitled, Let There Be Light. One of the lyrics that caught my ear and has penetrated my heart was, “Glowing in the dark till the Lord return.” I’d never thought about it before, but we are to glow in the dark. That’s what we do when we reflect our Savior’s light.
Ephesians 5:8-9 says, “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).” This verse tells us what it looks like to reflect the light of the Lord. To others, it looks like goodness. It looks like righteousness and is rooted in truth.
In my prayers, I often ask the Lord to make us salt and light in the dark world around us. That’s what I think of when I read, “You are the light of the world. A city 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 men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven,” Matthew 5:14-16.
This Christmas season, my prayer is that we are not distracted by the lights and busyness and gift-buying that surround this time of year, but that we may be mesmerized by the Light of Christ. In our own imperfect ways, let us worship Him and bathe in the illumination of His Being, soaking up as much of it as we can possibly hold. Then, a little like Moses as he came down from Mt. Sinai, when we turn again to face the world, let them see in us a reflection of the One we love. May His light shine from every pore of our being – at Christmas and beyond.
“Glowing in the dark till the Lord return.” ~ Andy Mineo
