Leaving the Light On
Letting your light shine in this dark world
Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. — 1 Thessalonians 5:5
Everyone who knows me well understands that I love technology.
One of my favorite things is the automations you can set up around the home. Some time ago I configured a small light in our house to turn on automatically when we arrive home or at certain times of the day. It sounds like a small thing. But if you have ever pulled into a dark driveway after a long day and been greeted by a light that was already on and waiting, you know it is not a small thing at all. It changes the whole experience of coming home.
The light does not know when I am tired. It does not know when the day was hard or when the drive was long. It simply does the one thing it was designed to do. It stays on. It cuts through the dark. And it makes the way home a little easier for whoever is coming.
Paul writes to the church at Thessalonica with a declaration that is both identity and calling wrapped into a single verse. You are children of light. Children of the day. Not of the night. Not of darkness. This is not a description of perfection, it is a description of belonging. You have been brought out of darkness and into light, and that light is now part of who you are.
But identity always carries responsibility.
A child of light who keeps their light hidden has not fully understood what they have been given. Light was never designed to stay contained. It was designed to reach. To cut through. To make the way easier for whoever is trying to find their way home.
We live in a world that is genuinely dark. Not just culturally or morally, but personally. The people around us are navigating hard seasons, difficult roads, and long days that have left them worn and disoriented. They are pulling into dark driveways and wondering if anyone even knows they are on their way.
We are the light that was left on for them.
Not a floodlight. Not a spotlight demanding attention. Just a steady, consistent, faithful presence that cuts through enough darkness to matter. A life lived with integrity. A word spoken with grace at the right moment. A willingness to show up for someone who did not expect anyone to be there. That is what it looks like to leave the light on.
The automation I set up does not decide each day whether it feels like shining. It was set, and it stays on. There is something worth borrowing in that image. We do not get to decide each day based on how we feel whether our light goes on or off. We are children of light. It is who we are. The question is simply whether we are letting it show.
Someone is on their way home through the dark right now. Are you letting your light shine for God?
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Well done Jared.