Yesterday was a day of taking pictures. Jayla’s school had a pep rally and 8th-grade night at the football field. Naturally, every parent was taking pictures of their child or taking a picture with their child, capturing these precious moments in time.

While at the field, the sun was burning hot. Not only was it hot, but it was also super bright, shining directly in our eyes. As parents lined up to proudly walk our kids across for introduction, we complained about the heat and the brightness. We were ready to find some shade.

As our kid’s name was called, we moved from one side to the other and waited for the group picture. After some time as the sunset, taking pictures became a bit more challenging. It became necessary to find the proper lighting. The shadow distorted the quality of the image.

When I woke this morning, I heard God say step into the light. Then I realized what he meant. See, when we walk in the light, it is not always the most enjoyable. Sometimes it’s hot because God is holding us to the fire for purification, removing the things that are not like him from our lives. Sometimes we want to shade ourselves from the brightness, yet when we are in the brightness and heat, we produce sweat which causes us to glisten as the SON reflects off of us. The more we yield to God, the more we reflect His light, the more heat and brightness we must endure. But who wants me sweaty and nasty, right. 

We complain about the heat and the brightness, but they are both necessary to capture the best quality possible. The shade or darkness distorts who we are while the light enhances us. Step into the light.

“This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. But 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 1:5-7 NIV