Chasing the light to cast out the darkness

Photo by STEPHEN POORE on Unsplash

Suddenly, as the Spirit turned my head, there it was: The Screwtape Letters.

Just when devils were looming large on my horizon of discouragement. Just in time, like always, is God. Thumbing through this classic of C.S. Lewis’s my hope was honed.

Even as I wrote about my irregular relationship with compassion fatigue, I sensed that renewal and revival was not far away. Even as I woke the following day there was still a cloud over me, yet I knew a resurrection experience was just around the corner, even in the forlornness of my spiritual gait.

Soon I was prepared
to chase the light that would cast out the darkness.
My mind was readied.
My heart was keen.

I was ready to do what only I could do, to chase down at light, and in the very same movement to cast that hideous darkness out.

Even as I pondered that, I sensed something move in my spirit; something entirely beyond optimism; I recognised it, like a good many Christians probably would too, as the uplift of the Spirit’s Presence beneath the wings of my countenance, pulling me higher, through the turbulence, above those dark storm clouds, away from the squall of my spirit’s indifference.

Then I was reminded of the truth that says, that those who know the Son have life (1 John 5:12). In being revived, with the light shed abroad in my heart, with no darkness left apparent, and no more excuses not to move forward, God again removed the scales from my eyes.

His light beamed in.

Suddenly, again, there is vision for other people. He revived that heart that He placed in me, to wish to see and to feel and to think about and to understand the other person. To share their perception, not so much to agree, just to see. To comprehend the passion in their heart. Even the grace to bear with those I could reasonably be impatient with. And even the person I am charged to admonish is held as precious even as I do the admonishing; an admonishment for their building up.

When God has filled us with the light that expunges the darkness there is one sure result:

We positively beam encouragement.

We become kindness, and patience, and self-control around others, and, with grace and compassion we bring others into the light with us, such is the majesty of the Holy Spirit.

What could be wrong with setting our hearts
toward encouraging others? Nothing. Ever.

It doesn’t mean that we cannot challenge people when they need to be goaded. But our frame of interaction is hedged in encouragement.

Like how I recently saw my child’s class teacher rebuke a child for doing the wrong thing, before giving a strong encouragement about ten minutes afterward when they had done the right thing. It was a powerfully redemptive moment within a coaching moment.

We may quickly find that if we are committed to encouraging people, that trust we develop with them means we have a relational currency with which to spend on challenging them, and our encouragement has built a bridge they can cross in being honest with us. They may see us as people who can admonish, and who can receive admonishment.

When we are full of light
we come to understand
that the reality of light is what it is
because we are full of truth
in that moment.

Yes, as light casts out the darkness, truths cast out falsehood, and behaviours of integrity become the holy standard we abide by.

Chasing the light to cast out the darkness is one’s spiritual search that cannot fail, for when we commit to searching we cannot fail to ultimately find.

God uses others in our lives, through our encouragement, to build upon the light He has given us. The more we engage in giving generously to others our encouragement, the more pervasive the light of God indwells us.

The more we see others blessed,
the more we ourselves are blessed,
and the more God’s heart is blessed.

***

In a dark world,
we’re called to be light.
In a world that does not see,
we’re called to be sight.
In a world shackled to death,
we’re called to freedom to live.
In a world where hurts drive hate,
we’re called to passionately forgive.