Many times I have listened to preachers and read about abattle between light and dark, good and evil, right and wrong. I have been thinking about this for a little while now. I wonder if you have sat in room and worried when you flicked the light switch if light really will defeat the darkness in the room. Worried that darkness will actually win out and there will be light to do the things you need to do.
I currently live in Stoke and as alien to the culture of Stoke I continually hear stats about how bad Stoke is. Whether it be the rise in teenage pregnancy or unemployment or empty shops. Things don’t look good in Stoke. I was really challenged when I listened to Banning Liebscher who is the Director of Jesus Culture. He spoke and said that no city is more dark than any other. They only face different challenges. He quoted Matthew 5: 14-16
14″You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”
There is no war between light and dark, light always wins. The problem comes when we haven’t switch the light on. We just need to turn on our passion. We need to go from people who are full of information, to people who are full of revelation. Information is only knowing it, revelation is about experiencing it. When we fall madly in love with Jesus the light will shine. No longer will it be hidden.
The light of Jesus isn’t just for our private lives, to be kept hidden for those times in suites us. No in fact God continually challenges His people about allowing the light to shine into our public lives as well. We need need to be people of the light. Light will ALWAYS defeat darkness.
I will not speak badly of my city and now am challenged to speak more positively about it and begin to let my light shine before men. Darkness will never win. Light ALWAYS wins.