Walking In The Light

If you have shopped for a home or apartment to live in, there are a number of things you consider: floor plan, neighborhood, structural integrity. Yet at times, there are things we don’t consider that we should. In our last house, we learned while moving our belongings that the garage door was broken. In our current home, as we unpacked, we realized we should have checked the lighting.

This home has only recessed (can) lights. The living room has one directional light for a picture above the fireplace. The master bedroom has two above the closet. Each of the other bedrooms has a single can light; none are centered in the room. While some may find the relative darkness comforting, we prefer walking in the light.

Yes, my metaphor was intentional. Jesus put it this way, “This is the judgment: The light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than the light because their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the light and avoids it, so that his deeds may not be exposed. But anyone who lives by the truth comes to the light, so that his works may be shown to be accomplished by God.” (John 3:19–21) It is better to be in the light than in the darkness.

Living in a home with poor lighting quickly teaches you about shadows. An off-center bulb in a bedroom casts shadows and deep pockets of darkness where details vanish. You might step on an unseen LEGO piece or dog toy, or misplace something vital because the light doesn't reveal what lies in the dark.

In our spiritual lives, shadow-filled spaces operate much the same way. When we step back from divine truth, we allow dark corners to form in our hearts—areas where worry, pride, or unaddressed sins hide. Darkness thrives in concealment. It convinces us that as long as our shortcomings remain hidden, they cannot harm us. Yet, like a dim room, living in shadows restricts our vision and leaves us constantly uncertain of our footing.

True peace comes from stepping into the light. Light does not merely reveal clutter or flaws; it restores clarity, warmth, and safe passage. The Psalmist recognized this transformative guidance, declaring, “Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path” (Psalm 119:105). Notice that God does not always give us a blinding floodlight that reveals every mile of our journey at once. Often, He offers the steady light of a lamp—enough to safely guide our next step, provided we choose to remain near the source.

Coming into the light requires courage. It means allowing God to search our hearts and reveal where we need healing, forgiveness, and renewal. As Paul writes, “For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light!” (Ephesians 5:8). When we stop hiding, the light ceases to feel like a judgment and becomes a source of freedom.

Furthermore, a bright room does not keep its light to itself; the illumination spills through windows and open doors, warming everything around it. Likewise, when our lives are filled with God’s truth, we shine outward into a world that often feels cold and shadowy.

Jesus reminded His listeners: “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” (Matthew 5:14–16).

As we extend compassion, practice honesty, and offer hope to those in despair, we become fixtures of God's light in our communities. As light, we not only illuminate the dark corners but reveal Christ, who will walk with us through the darkness.

We may need to replace or add fixtures in our physical home to achieve proper illumination. But illumination in our spiritual journey comes not from what we must do but from the light of Christ dwelling within us, which never dims.

John testifies, “If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:7). Let us intentionally choose the Light (Christ) each day by turning to God's word, walking in truth, and reflecting His unconditional grace to those around us.