The Unexpected Freedom of Walking in the Light
“Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.”  Hebrews 4:13
For many of us, there’s probably a lot more going on below the surface of our lives than others really know about: weights that we carry, pains that we bear, insecurities that we hide, sinful habits that entangle, relationships that are dysfunctional, longings that leave us wanting for more than our present reality provides. And for most of us, it’s just easier to quietly breathe the sigh of our own brokenness than step into that vulnerable space of being known by others and honest about our needs… while risking being judged and discounted if we did. We might tend to believe the lie that says we are the only ones who struggle at this kind of level. And so, we hang back toward the shadows and pretend to have our lives mostly together. It just feels safer there in the dark.
God’s Word actually prompts us to move toward a different kind of place: into the light! Initially, this doesn’t seem very life-giving, and could be perceived more like a suspect under the cold florescent lighting of a prison line-up, or a moth flying toward the bug-zapper. Neither situation seems very enjoyable, and both result in a lesser quality of life!
But what if stepping out and being exposed to the light of God’s truth could actually bring life and refreshment? What if being open and honest with Him and others could actually bring freedom and healing? Our natural impulse may be to withdraw or pretend, but God invites us to drop the masks and come out of hiding in order to be real and known, and then calls us to walk in His light with others who are learning to do the same. Surprisingly, when we can bring ourselves to do this, we will discover that we are in good company, now experiencing true fellowship as God designed it to be for us. In fact, it’s where He has wanted us to be all along, because it is where the cleansing blood of Jesus richly flows: within the context of a community of believers, all saved by grace and growing in love together. This is what it means to be a spiritual family that is mutually supported and strengthened by Christ.
“If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.”  1 John 1:7
“Therefore, confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.”  James 5:16
Church, may we make a resolved decision to not walk in sin, or wander around in the darkness. Because when we do that, we stumble, we get lost, we get hurt, and we’re alone. But, when we walk in the light as He is in the light, we discover a deeper fellowship with one another because we realize how much we actually have in common. That we’re all broken and have problems; that we all struggle with sin; that we are all in need of God’s grace. And when we see each other in that kind of light, there is mutual empathy, accountability, comradery, and support.
So… let’s learn what it means to live a life of transparency and confession before God and some trusted Christian friends. No longer needing to appear better than we are, but living in honest relationship with Jesus, and with one another. In doing so, we will know the unexpected freedom and healing that He longs for us to joyfully discover – founded in Him, and experienced together as His people!