The Receding Darkness

At the same time, it is a new commandment that I am writing to you, which is true in him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining. – 1 John 2:8 (ESV)

Two men once sat in a prison.  They were there because they had set someone free from a severe mental disturbance.  The problem was the person’s employers made a lot of money from the mental disturbance.  There was no law against this action, so the employers made up lies about these men.  The lies were believed as truth and the men were thrown into prison.  The situation was completely unjust and dark.  The men were paying a high price for bringing a light to a situation.  How would you respond?

Many would be upset and understandably so, being punished for costing someone money and then the authorities believed the lies is outrageous.  These men did something unexpected.  They started singing songs and praising God!  The started praying! (Acts 16) The lies and deceptions of the world did not seem to bother their emotions nor their devotion to God.  They knew something we struggle to grasp.  The darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining.

This reality is based on the command to love other people.  In this true type of love, the darkness in our lives recedes and the light shines brightly.  We become free to respond not based on the injustice of our worldly situation, but with the tangible hope we have in Christ Jesus.  We are finally freed from the hate of this world because we have experienced the true love of God in Christ Jesus.  Because those men reacted with praise to God, He showed up in a powerful way.  Even the jailor was amazed and came to faith in Jesus Christ because of the God centered reaction to life.  The light was able to shine even in the darkest of places.  The darkness is passing away.  Because of the death and resurrection of Christ and the presence of the Holy Spirit, we are able to do the Old Command to love in a new and beautiful way.

Consider your life.  Consider how you respond to the challenges and setbacks.  Do you praise God for every circumstance?  Why do you respond the way you do?  How can we focus more on the growing light and not on the receding darkness?

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