BE!
The Bible has a lot to say about light and darkness. They are used to represent good and evil, right and wrong, God and satan. And both are especially important if we are to understand how we have been called to live. For example…
The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness! 1
If we claim to have fellowship with [God] yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin. 2
The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it. 3 Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the darkness. 4 He does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded him. 5
When we focus on words and not action,
We waste so much time talking. But what we say is never as important as who we are. We hide behind a mask, telling others to be this or do that…though we never come close to such measures. Then they discover who we are. Everything we’ve said falls away and they never trust our words again.
Do we claim to be a child of the Father, a friend of His Son, the light of His Spirit? Then we must BE that child, friend, and light. God focuses on who we are, never seeking perfection. Every child stumbles. Every friend falters. Every light flickers. He searches for what matters…LOVE.
Are we willing to BE the people who love God with all our heart, mind, soul and strength? Are we willing to BE the people who share His love with everyone…those we like and those we don’t? Are we willing to BE the proof of His love?
…we live in darkness and gain nothing.
If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing. If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing. 6
Ciloa Forever!
Chuck
Chuck Graham is Founder and Executive Director of Ciloa, an international ministry devoted to sharing God’s encouragement and teaching others how to “encourage one another as long as it is called Today!” He is also an author, speaker, teacher, and encourager. Chuck and his wife, Beverly, live in Lawrenceville, Georgia, USA. You can learn more about Chuck and Ciloa at www.Ciloa.org.
Footnotes: (1) Matthew 6:22-23, NIV. (2) 1 John 1:6-7, NIV. (3) John 1:5, NIV. (4) 1 John 2:9, NIV. (5) 1 John 2:11, NIV. (6) This is my paraphrase of 1 Corinthians 13:1-3.
Pictures: Banner: Walk In The Light, photo by Chuck Graham; (1) Chuck Graham, photo by Beverly Graham.
