Let's Walk in the Light
“The one who loves his brother or sister remains in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him. But the one who hates his brother or sister is in the darkness, walks in the darkness, and doesn’t know where he’s going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.” – 1 John 2:10-11
To play a night game, you must have lights on the field. If you have ever played a game on a field that doesn’t have lights and the sun is setting, you know that with each minute, it gets harder and harder to see what is happening.
Darkness makes even the easiest tasks seem extremely difficult. Many of us can only walk by turning on a light to take our next step. The light guides us, helps us see clearly, and moves forward easily. Darkness stops us from moving forward, blinds us to what’s right in front of us, and often leads to fear of the unknown.
Just as physical darkness blinds us to our movements, internal spiritual darkness blinds us to the beautiful world God has created. 1 John tells us that hate can cause spiritual blindness inside a person. We are advised that if we love those around us, we will walk in the Light and not stumble. If we choose to hate, that will cause us to be lost in the darkness and unable to see.
It’s sometimes easier to choose hate over love, especially after someone has hurt us. Scripture tells us, though, that choosing hate will end up hurting us and causing us to miss out on the Light that is God’s love.
When we walk in His Light, we can see the stumbling blocks Satan sets out for us. If we are operating in the dark, it’s much easier for Satan to trip us up and cause us to stumble and sin even more. We can rely on the power of the Holy Spirit to move us from the hatred we feel in the dark to experiencing the love out in the Light.
- Do you have an area of darkness causing you spiritual blindness?
- What goodness do you expect to see in the Light of God’s love?
- Think of someone who walks in God’s Light. What does their life look like?
“God, You are The Light. You are the only way to love someone in this fallen world. Help us, Lord, to love the way You have called us to. Get rid of the darkness in each of us and cleanse our spirits. Help us to understand when darkness is creeping into our hearts, and look to Your Spirit for help in loving the people You have given us. Amen.”
