Running Toward the "God-light"

"This is the crisis we're in: God-light streamed into the world, but men and women everywhere ran for the darkness. They went for the darkness because they were not really interested in pleasing God. Everyone who makes a practice of doing evil, addicted to denial and illusion, hates God-light and won't come near it, fearing a painful exposure. But anyone working and living in truth and reality welcomes God-light so the work can be seen for the God-work it is." – John 3:19-21 (The Message)

Have you ever felt that you ran for the darkness? What is it like to run for the darkness? Are there evil things you do in secrecy? Would you do some things if others knew that you did them? What is it like to please God? What does it mean to live in truth? What “God-work” is being done through your life?

Yesterday my son kept climbing up onto the fireplace in our house. At 11 months old it is not a safe place for him with all the sharp bricks, so we tell him to get down. My wife kept saying, “Langston, get down!” However he just turned and smiled. “Langston, feet on the ground,” she would say to his smiling face as he kept right on.
Knowing that sometimes a stern voice works better, I stopped what I was doing and looked at him and with a stern, loud voice said, “Langston get down NOW!” His face turned upside down in sadness and he got down. As I started back with what I was doing, he moved back toward the fireplace, looking at me to make sure I wasn’t watching. He thought if I wasn’t watching he could climb up. I looked back at him and he stopped, waiting for me to look away. With no eyes to watch him he believed he could do wrong.

When we do things we know are wrong, we often forget that God is always watching. Many people try to hide from God (see Adam and Eve after they ate the forbidden fruit) after doing wrong. When we do things in secret believing no one sees we are in fact running from the God-light, from Jesus, since we fear the painful exposure of our sins. Today let us run toward God and work and live in truth so that others can see God in us, and the light pour from us! No more secrets to hide, nothing more to be ashamed of, only the pleasing life of one who wants to follow Christ.

With hope and joy,
Garrett