The Light of Life

A few weeks ago, I gave someone a Christmas card to thank them for the positive influence that they have had in my life. I even went so far as to tell them “some people exude an inner beauty that lights the world.” They later e-mailed me thanking me for the card and told me “the message on the card rings true for you, you know. You have an inner light that shines forth.” She went on to tell me that that is why she believes so many of my peers gravitate towards me when they have problems.  

Initially, I kind of blew her off, I guess. I was more like, hmm…that inner light, not so sure, but I will take your word for it. You see, we have no problem at all complementing others and telling them how wonderful they are, but if they do the same to us, we brush it to the side. It’s as if we can’t truly see what other’s see in us, and maybe after a few people tell us the same thing, we might start to believe it. The faith that people see in us or the beauty that we exude is inconceivable to us. Maybe that is because for so many years we lived in darkness and became comfortable there.

I realized tonight that she is right. I do have a light that shines from within me and it is thanks to the salvation of Jesus Christ. Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life" (NKJV: John.8.12). After reading the passage, I have come to realize that so long as we continue on an immoral path, we will always live in darkness, and, that, too, is what we present to the world. Because you see, a personal life without God is darkness and void of light.

However, if we are Christians living a God driven life—just like Jesus is the light of our life—we, too, are the light for someone else. However, if we are careless, then that light goes out. You see, as Christians, we must set the example for all to see. There is no shame in living for Jesus Christ, and if others have a problem with it, then so be it. People look to us to see if we are truly living a moral life. They are also there to knock us down when we falter. Somehow, society revels in the idea of a Christian falling from grace. Rather than helping them back up, they use it as a crutch of why they should not change their life. That is why it is so important to live a Christ centered life.

Whether you are in personal darkness or spiritual darkness, the only light at the end of the tunnel is Jesus Christ. The darkness of evil can never overcome or extinguish God’s light. God is too powerful for that to occur. Since He has given us the free will to do as we please, it is “us” that are weak and fall prey to the devil. In order to defeat the devil, we must understand that Jesus Christ is the Creator of life, and His light brings life to mankind. When we take a leap of faith and follow Jesus Christ, we can avoid walking blindly and falling into a life of sin. He lights the path for us to follow so that we can see how to live our life.  
In closing, my question is this, have you allowed the light of Christ to shine into your life? And if so, do others see the light exude from you? Just remember, if you let Christ guide your life, you will never need to stumble in darkness again. God Bless!