The Overcoming Power of Light
As we prepare for the Christmas season, the song, “Here I Am to Worship,” comes to mind:
“Light of the world, You stepped down into darkness,
Opened my eyes, let me see
Beauty that made this heart adore You,
Hope of life spent with You.”
The simple words of this well-loved song capture who Jesus is and how our hearts adore Him when we truly see Him. What a miracle it is that He who is pure light and love became fully human and entered our dark world. His light brings hope of goodness, truth, and justice here on Earth and exposes and confronts lies, worldly religion, and evil. The best thing of all—Jesus opened the door to a completely different existence of living connected to Him and His light. We have been born into the Kingdom of Light, and now we can experience the freedom of this realm!
John 1:4–5 TPT says it beautifully:
“Life came into being because of him, for his life is light for all humanity.
And this Living Expression is the Light that bursts through gloom—
the Light that darkness could not diminish!”
What a “thrill of hope” Jesus brought! In His name oppression ceases, because light breaks it! There is so much joy in my heart, because I have been rescued from living a life dominated by blindness, darkness, confusion, and randomly stumbling around, hoping for the best. I can see, and I can treasure the truth in my heart and let it light my path. Even while living in the world, I am grateful I don’t have to live oppressed by it.
Here are a few reflections of what it means to me to live in His light:
1. It sets me free from the torment of fear. Jesus came into the world to reveal who the Father is, so we could feel completely safe with Him and have a deep sense of security of His perfect love towards us. We can learn to internalize His love to the point of living with consistent stability and peace.
“No one has ever gazed upon the fullness of God’s splendor except the uniquely beloved Son, who is cherished by the Father and held close to his heart. Now he has unfolded to us the full explanation of who God truly is!” (John 1:18 TPT).
Nothing has produced more freedom and peace for me than recognizing and solidifying in my heart who God really is. Religion—even the Christian version—has a long history of painting God as an unsafe, oppressive, judgmental, aloof, accusatory, divine tyrant. Through His earthly ministry—and ultimately through His redemptive work on the cross—Jesus displayed an exact, opposite image of God. He healed those oppressed by darkness and sickness, restored dignity to the outcasts, and affirmed the vulnerable. He displayed compassion toward those who suffered and was not a helpless or passive observer of evil and injustice. He totally crushed sin and darkness through the cross and brought us into union with Himself as brand-new creations. Because I see who He is, I actively resist any erroneous teaching or any fear-inducing thoughts of my own.
2. Because I have enlightened eyes, I can discover the incredible inheritance God has given me.“Your hearts can soar with joyful gratitude when you think of how God made you worthy to receive the glorious inheritance freely given to us by living in the light. He has rescued us completely from the tyrannical rule of darkness and has translated us into the kingdom realm of his beloved Son,” (Col. 1:12–13 TPT).
I find this so powerful, and it causes joy to rise up within me! Did you catch that in Jesus, you have been made worthy to walk in God’s inheritance? You can experience the love of the Father and all the benefits that the redemption of Jesus provided. He also has a unique inheritance just for you. I challenge you to embark on a study of what this means and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal something specific that He has for you in this season of your life. What a great way to start the new year!
3. Together, we become a city of light! There is nothing like being joined to a community where God’s presence and truth are celebrated. “He called you out of darkness to experience his marvelous light, and now he claims you as his very own. He did this so that you would broadcast his glorious wonders throughout the world,” (1 Pet. 2:9 TPT).
I am increasingly aware of how important it is to stay connected with others whom I trust. The Bible, as well as neuroscience, reveal that it is the quality of close relationships that allows us to grow, expand, and become stronger in our witness, our gifting, and overall progress. Truly connected relationships cause us to shine brighter! Carving out time with peers and informal or formal mentors and mentees is God’s primary way to heal and cause us to grow.
Now I feel inspired to be a little extravagant with Christmas lights this year, just to celebrate the light of Christ being displayed in this dark world. May we all allow His light to shine brightly through us!