Shine!

Pure darkness is scary. I don't mean the sudden blindness you experience before your eyes adjust when you turn off the lights before bed. I mean PURE darkness. The complete absence of light. No possibility of visual adjustment. The blackest black you can fathom. 

Pure. Darkness.

If you've ever been deep in a cave, you have an idea of what pure darkness "looks" like. I was on a tour with my dad once. The path into the cavern was illuminated. We began the descent, torches in hand. Once we were deep inside the earth, the tour guide directed us to extinguish our flashlights, grab the railing, and emphatically instructed, "Don't let go!" I flippantly obeyed, chuckling under my breath. How dark could it really become? Then the lights went out. Waiting...waiting for the molecules to regenerate. For adaptation. After what seemed like at least 5 minutes, the tour guide asked, "How long do you think it's been since the lights went out?" A variety of responses were audible. "Five minutes!" "Ten minutes!" "An hour!"
"Wrong, wrong and wrong. It's been 30 seconds." Whaaaaaaat?? My my my how perceptions change during light starvation! The length of time between lucidity and insanity with sensory deprivation is not near as long as you'd suspect.

Have you ever experienced it? 

Not insanity. 

Pure darkness. 

Almost pure darkness?

When the brain is deprived of light, it begins to manufacture it. Within hours, hallucinations can occur. Studies have shown that extended periods without light or stimulation severely distorts time perception. People crave human contact after less than an hour of isolation. 

Change gears. 

Consider spiritual life. In I John 1:5 the Bible says, "God is light, in Him is no darkness at all."  

Well now that's the opposite end of the spectrum! 

What about darkness? 

What does the Bible say about darkness? 

In reference to spiritual warfare: 

Ephesians 6:12 says, "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual fs of evil in the heavenly places." 

In reference to God's gift to us of salvation

Colossians 1:13  "He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son"

Jesus' words

John 8:12  "Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”"

I could go on and on. (Or you could open a Bible and see for yourself.) 

There are multitudes of Bible passages discussing light and darkness. 

 The glaring concept in every passage is this: 

GOD=pure light 

SATAN (Opposite of God) = pure darkness

180

Back to physical darkness.

Perhaps that's one reason children are scared of the dark. They have not yet decided that they are resilient to every single thing in life. Subconsciously, they know that something about the dark is not right. (This is not to say that kids are ultra-rational creatures...but Jesus sure did love them!) 

I am also not insinuating that every time the physical lights are off, Satan is present. 

In fact...he is always lingering.

ALWAYS

Spiritual darkness. It is continuously attempting to consume every part of your world. Your mind. Your psyche. Your life.  

How? 

DISTRACTION

Do you ever find yourself so busy that you can barely fit everything into your day? Wake up at the crack of dawn, shower, pour coffee & drink it while you finish primping, brush your teeth, take the dog out, wake the kids, feed the kids, feed the dog, feed your spouse, fix your lunch, fix your kids' lunches, kiss your spouse, get everyone into the car, buckle up! Drop the kids off at school, call your mom while you navigate the traffic jam...park (in the garage, which is 1/4 mile from your office building) RUN to get badged in on time, grab the presentation material you're scheduled to present in 5 minutes...

Well, you get it. 

By the time you finish the trillionth thing on your daily list, there is no time for God. For spirituality. For filling your life with enough LIGHT that the darkness is unable to drown it out. Assuming you are not interested in being consumed by darkness...what can you do? 

Look toward the light! 

Focus!

Prioritize the God-stuff!

Perhaps you just don't buy into Christianity. It's not outside the realm of possibility that you don't even believe the Bible is the inspired Word of God. Even if that is the case, with very little investigation, it is impossible to deny that the Bible is at least a true historical book with some extremely useful life lessons inside. 

About Face.

Back to physical light. 

Wait, let's combine the two.

Pretend you have been consumed by darkness. You're looking everywhere for just a teeny-tiny spark to guide you toward...something. Anything other than all of this nothingness. 

You're in LUCK!! 

Some people do buy into Bible teaching, and are following His instructions. 

Let's see what He said.

Matthew 5: 14-16 "You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven. 

You know those folks you meet who just seem inherently good? They could just be the ones who are following Jesus' teachings and letting their light shine. 

Regardless of what you believe, if you are smothered with the blackest black you can imagine...whether physically, mentally, or spiritually...you will CRAVE light. 

Any light you can find.

Unless you are a psychopath, your ambition is not for anyone you know to be overcome by darkness either. Thankfully, you can help them. You can be a light in this dark world. 

Mother Teresa said it this way: 

People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered.  Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives.  Be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine             enemies. Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and sincere people may deceive you.  Be honest and sincere     anyway.

What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight.  Create anyway.

 If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous.  Be happy anyway.

The good you do today, will often be forgotten.  Do good anyway.

Give the best you have, and it will never be enough.  Give your best anyway.

In the final analysis, it is between you and God.  It was never between you and them anyway.

In other words, 

SHINE!!!!