“It was the best of times, it was the
worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was
the epoch of incredulity, and it was the season of Light, it was the season of
Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had
everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct the
other way...”
From “A Tale
of Two Cities”, by Charles Dickens
Charles Dickens’ words refer to
the volatile days of 1775, but they also could be spoken of the present
day. Perhaps you feel it the “best of
times and the worst of times” in your life.
Things may be going very well, but there are some stiff challenges -
great spiritual victories but perplexing difficulties - feelings of being
closer to a God than ever before, yet days of feeling like a spiritual
failure. Can you identify? I believe you can.
You
are the light of the world. (Matt 5:14)
Being close to Jesus means living
in the light - and being the light in
the world is not all that easy, because he light of His perfection reveals all
our imperfections – even our innermost thoughts! Also, His light will bring out all manner of
things about those around you – the
good, the bad, and the ugly! Now that
can be uncomfortable. It’s
hard living in the Light!
Whatever you do, be determined to
walk in the light by walking closely with Jesus Christ, even when it is
uncomfortable. Jesus taught His
disciples that apart from total dependence on Him, they could do nothing
productive! Staying close to the Him
keeps us encouraged, focused, and fruitful in spite of life’s discomforts and
contradictions.
So, now you understand why so
many perplexing issues are at hand.
You’ve begun to “walk in the Light” and to be a
light. Sometimes that light reveals
unpleasant things in and around you. But Jesus will never bring anything to
light without giving you the grace to deal with it. Be encouraged, and face life on God’s
terms. Whatever you do, don’t go back
into darkness and sin. Ask God to give
you His supernatural power to bear the hard times, and let the light that
resonates from you reveal Jesus to everyone around you. Remember, you are the light of the world,
and He is the light in you!
Love,
Your pastor and God’s servant,
Eric
