Deborah Switzer: Genuine Light

GENUINE LIGHT

My favorite part of the morning is when I finally get dressed. Being fully clothed gives me the opportunity to open up the blinds on both of my bedroom windows and let the sun come shining in. I look forward to it daily. I pull the string and lift up my blinds as high as I can possibly raise them. Then I quickly dart over to my light switch and turn off the overhead light. For some reason I find great invigoration from natural light flooding the room for the rest of my morning routine. I enjoy turning off the GE electric bulbs and allowing the radiance and warmth of the sun to light my morning.

The other morning I was particularly pleased as a shaft of the sun’s light shone directly onto my cup of coffee resting on the dresser. As I turned from the window, I saw this gentle billow of smoke rising from my mug -- a feature that was previously hidden from my eyes in the shadows of the unnatural light of my room. It made me feel warm all over on such a cold day. (And as an avid coffee fan, I found that my love for the beverage grew three times that day!)

As I started to sip my hot cinnamon coffee, I felt the Lord quietly whisper to my heart. He started to express in my spirit the joy He took in my relishing the natural light. There really is only one True Light, and His name is Jesus. He doesn’t want to settle for unnatural counterfeits that only cause a fluorescent glow in our lives. He wants us to reflect the glory of His all-natural, radiant and beaming light – the effervescence of His love.

We don’t ever have to be satisfied with the artificial, but so often in our lives we settle for it. We know we lack God’s manifest presence in our lives, but we are too busy, tired, discouraged, or lazy to open up the blinds and allow His light in. We settle for a quick time in His Word, and although we know we have not yet been changed by “the word made flesh,” we continue on throughout our day, allowing the Light of the World to be reduced to a mere light bulb. It is almost as if we can see the genuine light shining through the corners of the blinds, but we can’t quite manage to open them up and let Him in.

At times, it can feel like opening the blinds is too much work. I specifically remember a time when I was sick, and I kept the shades closed. It felt so oppressive and dark in the room, and allowed me to wallow in my weakness. It required mental, physical, and spiritual effort on my part to open up the shades and allow the sun to shine on my misery. To a degree, the sun hurt my eyes; but the atmosphere changed and made room for my recovery.

I know the times I have let the genuine light of Christ shine in my life instead of the artificial. After spending time with Him, I truly feel His love and genuine change or growth occur in my life. It is as if Genesis 1 has occurred in my living room. God said, “Let there be light [in Deborah]” and THERE WAS LIGHT! God’s true light broke through my darkness and changed me into His image. At times His Word has become a “light unto my path.” Its richness and its truth have flooded my soul and shown me the way to go. And at times in prayer, I have known that the Light of the World has entered my world and transformed me by His grace.

The most remarkable truth about God’s genuine light, however, is that it frees me to be genuine as well. When I allow His true light to shine and don’t settle for the artificial, I am suddenly able to be who He has created me to be. I no longer am David trying on Saul’s armor, but rather I am a fearless David who can conquer the giant. His authenticity allows me to be authentic; His truth allows me to be truthful; and His grace allows me to be gracious!

Genuine light also allows us to see things we may not have seen before. Just as I saw the steam rising from my coffee that morning, so also we might see things rising from our hearts in His natural light. These things may be pleasant or ugly, but they are always things that need to be revealed. Perhaps God will discuss with me my unique way of speaking, and encourage me to continue in that gift. Or perhaps, He will gently remind me of my harshness and my need to repent to my spouse. No matter what the revelation, it can only be seen for what it truly is in the natural light of His love. Somehow, our strengths and our sins become distorted in the artificial light of the world; but in His light, we can see them for what they really are.

As I write this, I am still in my pajamas. I know I will have to go through half of my morning routine before I can open up the blinds in my bedroom. Still, I look forward to having “the light” shine in, not just in my room, but also in my heart. Make time today for the genuine. Don’t settle for merely flicking on the overhead lights of your spirit. For “if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another [authenticity], and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin” (1 John 1:7)