This morning is one of the coldest darkest days of the winter in Chattanooga – with temperatures in the teens or single digits. There may be some other days this cold, but we are in the depths of winter, and getting up early to do anything just does not feel like the natural thing to do. The natural thing to do seems to be to roll over, pull up the covers and go back to sleep until the light comes out and provides a little bit of warmth.
This could be because we are “children of the light and children of the day” and we have a natural tendenceny to avoid the dark – which I think is good. But eventually we have to get up and face the darkness. Its our goal bring the light into that darkness.
For instance, this morning, although my body didn’t want to, I strapped on the head lamp and went out into the cold darkness for a nice morning run, taking the light with me.
Thats the same way we need to live – take the light right to the darkness and let your light shine with goodness, righteousness and truth.
8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light 9 (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) 10 and find out what pleases the Lord. 11 Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. 12 It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. 13 But everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light. 14 This is why it is said:
“Wake up, sleeper,
rise from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you.”15 Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Ephesians 5