Letting Your Light Shine Amidst This Present Darkness

By Jack Redmond

If the world ever needed light – it is now! Many days it seems like the world is falling apart as people go through many challenges and losses. If you tune into the tv, social media or the radio, it’s like getting hit over the head over and over again with bad news!

As I spoke with a friend the other day, I blurted out, “It makes no sense to shine a light in a lighted room, but in darkness!” We then discussed that our church is full of light. It has God’s Word, God’s Presence and many people filled with both the Word and the Holy Spirit. It’s the people outside of our churches that need this light.

Since we have the hope of Christ, it is up to us to get outside of the church walls and bring light into the darkness! I wrote about this in my book, God’s Team – Unleashing the Full Power of the Church.

“You are the salt of the earth. “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Matthew 5:13a, 14

LIGHT

Light must also be shown to overcome darkness. If you have a flashlight, you can walk into any darkness and shine the light. In the same way, we must bring the light of Christ into people’s personal darkness of pain, brokenness and sin. We are often like a bunch of people sitting in church with our flashlights complaining the world is a dark place. Instead, we must take the light we have and go into the dark places and into people’s dark lives and shine the light of Christ. To erase the darkness, we must touch it with light.

WHO WINS THE FIGHT?

Many times, I ask the question, “In a fight, what wins? Light or darkness?” Some people get it right away, others think it’s a trick question, but the answer is simple. Light always overcomes darkness! If a room or place is dark and you shine a light, the light “lights up” the darkness. Bottom line, you can shine light into darkness but if there is light, you can’t make the darkness overcome the light. You can’t project darkness into light. When people understand that they have light that can overcome darkness, a boldness rises up within them.

I encourage you to ask God to use you every day to be light in our dark world. Yes, these are tough times, but people need the hope of Christ, and you can bring that light to them each and every day!

Jack Redmond is an author, speaker and serves on staff at Christ Church in Montclair and Rockaway, NJ. He can be reached or followed on social media @jackwredmond.

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