Defining Moments

Travel Light!

Its pitch dark and you are trying to make your way through a room with obstacles on the floor that you can’t see; no flashlight, not even the glow from your cell phone to help guide you. How do you feel? Or, you’re walking along a very dark street, alone. In the open space to your right, you can faintly see grave stones, making you aware that you’re passing a cemetery, when you’re startled by a strange sound. Suddenly you realize you’re not quite as alone as you thought. What’s going on inside you?


Experiencing fear, uncertainty, insecurity, even terror under such circumstances would not be un-natural. If fact, it would be quite natural. So, what one component could change everything? It’s simple and you’ve likely guessed it: light.

Without light, you would not only be justified in the feelings you experience, but a stilted or cautious stride would be understandable. Introduce light into those circumstances and it would allow you to walk differently than when you were hoping to avoid ob-stacles you couldn’t see, or briskly make it past an intimidating scenario, like a cemetery at night.

Light changes everything. It exposes hidden things. It helps define visible things. Light can help things grow. It can even disinfect. The dark does none of that.

So, if light can be so good and dark so bad, why do so many stay in the dark spiritually, by choice? Spiritual darkness can lead to many of the same is-sues presented by physical darkness: fear, uncer-tainty, insecurity, even terror. Then, how can some living in the dark appear so confident? Let’s just say they’re whistling past the graveyard. They may ap-pear to have it together, but ultimately they must face the reality of their hopelessness.

There is only one Light that can dispel spiritual darkness. The same One that said, “Let there be light” and there was light. God is light. People will attempt to stay in the dark, living in the shadows, trying to hide from God. Even Christians convince themselves that God can’t see in the dark. But, Light can always see in the dark.

So, if we say we’re in the light and walk in the dark, we’re only fooling ourselves; we’re only hurt-ing ourselves; we’re only lying to ourselves while thinking we’re faking out God. And worst of all, we lose the fellowship we could be having with God. Plus, we have to question whether or not we’re in Christ, because “in Him there is no darkness at all.” But, thankfully we are given the opportunity to erase the darkness and restore that fellowship. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).

What is it in your life that you believe God can’t see? Is there something you keep in the dark, or a dark place you go to hide from God? Expose it to the light. Agree with God about that thing and regain the courage, certainty, security and joy God intended for you.

“This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.”

—1 JOHN 1:5 NKJV