By David ReayFriday 2 Feb 2018LifeWords DevotionalsFaithReading Time: 1 minute
Read Ephesians 5:8
8 For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light! (NLT)
No one can truthfully deny that there is much darkness and evil in the world. Apart from so-called natural disasters there are evils brought on by the corruption and wickedness of human beings. We must never romanticise our world, gushing about beautiful sunsets and spectacular waterfalls whilst being blissfully ignorant of what is terribly wrong with us and the world.
And yet, while there is darkness there is also light. It is God’s world, and each and every human being irrespective of moral character is made by God and valued by God. Our realism is not to descend into cynicism.
Cynics look for the darkness in all things. They assume impure motives, they focus on hidden schemes, they are absorbed in approaching dangers. They are suspicious of healthy enthusiasm and sneer at charitable works.
Those who follow Jesus will not deny the darkness. They simply choose not to live in it. They trust the light rather than the darkness. The world might be a bad place in some respects but Jesus has come into the world to usher in his good rule. And we are part of the process. The Christian disciple is always a realist but never a cynic.
Blessings
David Reay