Confession

Submitted by Lara Cook
Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life. John 8:12

The second of the seven I Am statements by Jesus is “I am the light of the world.”

I have a confession.  I am afraid of the dark.  I am a grown, middle aged woman and I still like to sleep with a light on somewhere in the house.  My theory is that if there is something, or someone there when I open my eyes, I want to be able to see them.  Yes, I want to see the monsters and the Boogey Man if they come for me in the middle of the night. 

The scary thing about the darkness is the blinding unknown.  When we actually turn the light on, the darkness disappears and we can see that there is nothing in the darkness that is not there in the light.  The light overcomes the dark and reveals the truth.  There are no monsters and no Boogey Man.

Jesus’ second I Am statement, I am the light of the word, speaks of truth, spiritual truth that can only be found in Jesus.  If we follow Him, we will not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.  Jesus is the light and He forces the darkness away.  The unknown is made known and truth is revealed.  Darkness does come for us; Satan is always looking for a way in.  In 1 Peter 5:8, the Bible says Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.  Satan can easily deceive but in the light, the truth is revealed.  The darkness cannot tolerate the light.  Satan and Jesus cannot co rule.  It is either Jesus or the darkness and the choice is up to us as to which path we want to follow.

When we choose to follow Jesus, and are given the light of life, then we become the light of life through Him.  Because of our relationship to Him, we can take the light of life to the rest of the world.  When we have the light of Jesus in our lives, it will show, just like Matthew 5:1-16 says: You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house.  In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.  You simply cannot hold the light in.  You cannot turn on darkness.  Darkness only comes when we turn off the light.  This is Discipleship in its truest form.  Jesus gives us the light of life and we are to spread the light of life in the darkness.

Because of who we are in Christ, we will have an influence and we will shine for Him to the rest of the world who walks in darkness.  You may be the only light in someone’s life.  Just as a moth is drawn to a flame, let the light of Jesus shine through you, so that others will be drawn to Him. 

Scripture to Claim:
The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone.  The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.   John 1:4-5