The Good FightSample

Day 3 - LIGHT CONQUERS DARKNESS

Have you ever noticed that in almost every movie where there is a villain and a hero, the hero always comes out victorious? Can you imagine watching films where the villains were always successful and the movie ended with everyone downcast and defeated? No thanks!

Here’s some great news for you and I: as a follower of Jesus we are always positioned on the side of the hero – the side of good! Romans 8:31 puts it this way: “If God is for us, who can ever be against us?” Jesus conquering over sin and death means we get to walk in that victory. In this GOOD FIGHT, we are on the winning side!

But, that’s not to say we won’t face challenge and trial. In fact, we should expect to face some dark and difficult times as we journey through life. But we do so, trusting that God is with us. He is our source of LIGHT in what can be a pretty DARK world.

Throughout scripture we see this contrast between light and darkness. At the start of the gospel of John, Jesus is described as light – a light that “shines in the darkness, and the darkness cannot extinguish it.” What’s more, Jesus actually describes us as “the light of the world”. We too have the power to extinguish darkness. When a room is completely dark and a light is switched on, that darkness has to disperse – darkness always flees in the presence of light. 

In the same way, when darkness seems to surround us, when fear and distrust and hatred permeate our world, as we carry God’s love and light into every situation, the darkness cannot stay – light always conquers darkness. 

God’s Kingdom is a kingdom of light. When we open our hearts to others, we extinguish darkness; when we choose to engage in helping and caring for those hurting, we extinguish darkness; when we use words to encourage and strengthen rather than gossip and tear down, we extinguish darkness; when we choose love over fear, we extinguish darkness.

You can extinguish darkness in the world around you today. You are the light of the world.

Make it personal:
The light within us grows stronger the more we are in God’s presence. How can you strengthen God’s light in your life today?

How can you personally bring God’s light into your world? 
How can you “extinguish darkness” today?