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I have been really drawn to John chapter 1. The book of John is a must read for Christians and non-Christians alike. It really is an encapsulation of how Jesus modeled God's love for mankind. You just can't go wrong letting John's view of Jesus sink into your life.
I am amazed at how John penned the words he did. The first 18 verses of John 1 is nothing short of melodic in how it reads. I have to admit that I find it necessary to go back and read the words John wrote over and over again. I sometimes miss the meaning as I enjoy the skill in which this disciple was able to communicate the message of Jesus in his writings.
As an example, take a look at today's Bible reading from John Chapter 1.
In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. John 1:4 (NIV)
This is one of John's more brief and to the point sentences describing Jesus. As short and sweet as it is, there is a lot to unpack in today's reading for those of us looking to live a victor's life. Let's take a closer look at this verse now.
In Him was life... Such an important concept for victors to get from their heads to their hearts. Life can be lived to the fullest when it is In Christ. It isn't that a walk with God through Jesus makes life easy. It is that as we lean into who God says we are through Jesus, that life seems to just make sense.
In Christ we have purpose. In Christ we have identity. In Christ we are valued. In Christ we are wanted. In Christ we are eternal. In Christ we are accepted. In Christ there is love. I can't think of a single thing in this world that brings to the table this list of benefits. Can you?
Does you job bring universal purpose, identity, value, want, eternity and/or love? Sure there are times your job might fit the bill on one or more of these benefits, but can you completely depend on your job for all these things? How about your marriage? Your kids? Your friends? Your Church? I have yet to find a worldly endeavor that brings the kind of peace a relationship with Christ has brought to my life. In Him I have found life. John really nailed it with the first four words of today's reading. Amazing thing is that he isn't done yet.
John goes on to say that the life in him is the light of all mankind. That's a pretty bold statement. to make. For those who find that their own efforts are enough to bring the peace they need in their lives, this light John introduces here is of little use. For those of us who have been overwhelmed by the darkness of this world, this light is a total life saver.
This life is the light... as a statement is beginning to make more and more sense in my life these days. I love the fact that John uses light as a descriptor of the life we have in Christ. I took a look at the Greek word used for the English translation of light. In the definition section of the tool I used to translate the Greek word for light, they used several metaphors to help identify the subtly of this word. One of the metaphors used was the following.
God is light because light has an extremely delicate, subtle, pure, brilliant quality.
Light can be harsh and abrasive. Light can also be soft and alluring. In the performance world, light plays a critical role in creating the right atmosphere for what is trying to be communicated. Implement the wrong lighting plan and the message often gets lost on the audience. Same goes when using the word light to describe the life God promises for us through Him.
For those stuck in trying to make this life be all about who we are, what we do and how the world sees us, the light of God will seem harsh and unappealing. The message will surely be lost when it is bathed in a light that is the light of God. For those who have seen the futility of trying to make this life prove anything about who they are, the light of God is a safe and welcoming sight.
John goes on to talk a lot about the light of God in John chapter 1. He makes some points about God's light that make it so that we have to allow what He says sink in a bit. Today's reading opens the door to the possibility of viewing our life in a light that helps life be something that we are more able to understand. It is when our identities are illuminated by the light that is God, that a power becomes available to us like never before. That power comes as God's light opens our eyes to a different perspective in life.
As we view who we are and what we do from God's perspective, the outcomes we face don't have quite the impact they did when our light source was something other than God. Life can be such a roller coaster when we try to light our way by what we do. When things are going well, things seem bright and easy to see. When things take a turn for the worse, the darkness can make us feel lost and afraid to move forward.
Life will always be filled with ups and downs. It is such a shame to let those ups and downs be overly impacting on who we are. We allow that to happen when we look to a light other than God to make this life be what it was intended to be for us. When we allow God to light up our life, the highs are so much more impacting and the lows don't take quite the toll on who we are they once use to.
The last thing I see in today's reading is purpose. If life is in Christ and that life is the light to all mankind, we become something appealing and alluring to those around us as we let that light shine from our lives. We all want to be significant. We all want our lives to count for something. It is when we settle on letting worldly objectives be enough to make us feel significant or to have impact that victim thinking can't help but to be something we will have to deal with.
When we are living a life in Christ, we exude a light that is different in this world. That light is what the rest of the world longs for but are looking in all the wrong places to find. Your life can not be more purposed then when you let God illuminate who you are through what Jesus did for us on the Cross. It is as we live out our identity as God's Child that victor living becomes a distinct possibility.
As God's light shines in your life, know you are empowered to do more than you could ever dream or imagine. All mankind is looking for that kind of light. You may never be called to preach from the mountaintop as to what that light means in your life. What you are called to do is to let that light shine... let that light pour out of you in all that you do.
Think about what kind of light is working in you. Let the life in Him be a light to all mankind. Shine like the victor God made you to be and bask in the extremely delicate, subtle, pure, brilliant quality of God's glory in your world today.
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