By Marcus Blair, Cornerstone Baptist Church
As I type this, there is a little green-backed hummingbird hovering around my garden and I can see him from my window. What a vigorous little bird, beating his wings hundreds of times per second, zipping everywhere, seemingly so alive! It’s a joy to watch him speeding around my tomato plants.
And yet, as powerfully living as he seems, he’s not as alive as me. For I have the light of life in my soul, the life that flows from Jesus’ own life. And it is this light that allows me to see not merely a bird, but something to appreciate, something that reflects the awesomeness of my Creator. I see the fingerprints of God when I enjoy such a pretty sight.
I wish for you this same light! And I can tell you where it is found.
“John 8:12 – Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.”
I am intensely interested in the phrase “light of life” in this passage. Jesus was speaking to the people and declared to them that he is the light of the world, and he is to be followed out of darkness. It occurs to me that most people are in some kind of darkness. That could mean, simply, sin. But it can also mean a spiritual blindness, like someone trying to find their way in the dark, bumping into things, hurting himself, and essentially getting nowhere. That darkness can take the form of pride, self-absorption, materialistic greed, and a thousand other vices and addictions. It can also take the form of constant busyness, which keeps us from being still and really appreciating things that we’ve received from the Lord.
That’s not the kind of life we are supposed to lead. God wants more for us than that, so he sent his son, Jesus, to be a great light for us. He’s the light of the whole world, able to illuminate all people who will seek him and follow him.
As we follow Jesus by living in his ways each day, we should notice a progression inside ourselves. Imagine following Jesus down an actual road. We would expect that our destination will get closer and closer as we travel. The destination in following Jesus is to become more like him. We want to be in the light, as he is in the light. And as we walk with him, we should see this Christlikeness taking root in us. Our choices should be different. Our appreciation of God should be profound. Our actions toward others should be loving and full of joy.
For the complete column, see this week’s edition of the Centralia Fireside Guard.
