The whole world heaves with the troubles and distresses of
our broken and contorted societies; the air is filled with the noise and
commotion of business, pleasure, and entertainment; nations writhe under the
sound and oppression of violence and screaming protesters, and the whole atmosphere
is packed densely with the unheard sound of billions of text messages, emails,
and social media trash.
In all of this, a solitary soul wanders, wondering if there
is anyone anywhere who really cares about them, or has any real interest in
their personal loneliness and dilemma.
Friends come and go, changing like the weather, comfortable
with you on Monday, ignoring you by Friday. And in all of the vacuum of our lives
we seek for someone who will simply accept us as we are, love us in spite of
our failings and folly, be there even when it might be inconvenient, and take
the time to check in on us to make sure we are safe and doing OK.
Sometimes, a smile from an absolute stranger can be more
important and elevating than all the talk and pretence of those who claim to be
our friends. A telephone call from someone truly interested in your life can
mean more than all the chitchat and pointless talk of a tiring week.
Kindness, concern, care, and love, can transform sadness into
joy, despair into hope, darkness into light, and defeat into victory.
Jesus says to his followers, “You are the light of the
world.” However, we can only be such light if we are walking in the light. And
what does it mean to ‘walk in the light?’
It means that I am right with God; my attitudes are right,
my motives are right, my heart is right. The Bible says, ‘come, and let us walk
in the light of the LORD.’
We can only walk in his light if we are honest with him,
transparent before him, and washed from our sins by his blood. (1John 1:7)
Then, and only then, can we be the light that the world so
desperately needs in these dreadfully dark days in which we live.
It’s time to get real, and live lives that reflect the
goodness of God and the love that he showered upon us at the cross, where
Christ died to save us and free us from the kingdom of darkness.
You can live for your self-centred wishes and all your personal
demands, or you can live for Christ Jesus and the salvation of those around you
who have no light, and no eternal hope.
