Live in the Good

This morning I woke up, climbed out of bed and got dressed just like every other day. The only significance from any normal day being the shirt I chose to adorn myself with. Without knowing it would impact my thinking all day long, I put on a shirt that said “Believe There is Good in the World.”

With so much prevailing darkness in the world today and evil lurking at every turn. With the world turning what often feels like upside down and sideways at the same time, I find myself sometimes wondering “Is there good left in the world?” So today, I pondered the question, does the statement on my shirt hold any truth or value? Should I toss the shirt out? Does good still exist in the world? Do I see it around me? Or in me?

All good questions that deserved enough prayer and mediation to come to a conclusion. So I spent today searching out answers to “Is there still good? If so, where?”

I don’t know about you, but for me, the last year, the pandemic, the death of my mother, the election, the division, the ugliness, the hatred and all that has come with the atmosphere around these things has left me feeling like I’m walking around in darkness. Walking around, wondering where to find the truth, what to believe, who to believe and how to move forward.

So I began to ask God about the darkness seeming to be everywhere. I asked him how we are suppose to navigate through it. I tend to wallow in my own personal darkness and let it consume me instead looking to Jesus to help me get out of it. For me, it’s time to stop wallowing in the dark and find some light. But where?

In Genesis 1:1-3 it says, In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. And God said, Let there be light, and there was light.

This crusty earth held only darkness until the Father willed, the Son spoke, and the Holy Spirit sprung into action with light. Verse four goes on to say that God saw the light and it was good.

Light has always been the good brought to us by God. At first light came to us in the form of day verses night. Daylight has always exposed evil for what it is, lies, destruction, and disobedience to God. Evil likes the darkness and only comes into the light when it can masquerade itself as goodness and godliness. It wears a mask to avoid exposure to the light.

God has always shown us his light through his Son, Jesus Christ. First in creation; then by virgin birth, life on earth and death on a cross. He continues to show us his light even now through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit sent by Jesus to guide his people.

As believers in Jesus Christ, we hold the light within us. We hold the light of Christ inside us through the Holy Spirit that dwells within us. That light, the filling of the Holy Spirit, is what extinguishes the darkness around us.

John 3:19 says And this is the condemnation, that the light came into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

Jesus came into this world to bring light to the darkness. But some people love the darkness and want to remain in it. To them Jesus isn’t a comfort, but what exposes the mask which hides their evil desires and bent towards sin. We have no power to change people who desire darkness over light. God is the only one who can change hearts. We can only shine our light and pray for them.

But for us who are believers in Jesus Christ, we must walk through the darkness around us with our light burning bright. We must stoke the fire well within us, immersing ourselves in the Word of God. We put on the full armor of God and become warriors of light and truth. God is made of a such bright light that Moses had to cover his face after just a glimpse of God from behind. So stoke the fire within you until the mask your wearing also has a eternal purpose. We can’t let the darkness extinguish the light Christ placed within us.

2 Samuel 22 :29-30 says – You, Lord, are my lamp; the Lord turns my darkness into light. With your help I can advance against a troop; with my God I can scale a wall.

Let the Lord, Jesus Christ be your lamp to scale the wall of and advance on the troop. He is truth. He is the way. Remember, it is through him that anything around will be changed.

I will leave you with this, Psalm 107:10-14 says – Some sat in darkness, in utter darkness, prisoners suffering in iron chains, because they rebelled against God’s commands and despised the plans of the Most High. So he subjected them to bitter labor; they stumbled, and there was no one to help. Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress. He brought them out of the darkness, the utter darkness, and broke away their chains.

Don’t sit in darkness, utter darkness and wallow with chains on your soul as if you are a prisoner. Let your heart run to Him and cry out for His help. He will save you from the distress and frustration you feel. Let him break the chains of on your soul with his light