You can't turn on the dark.
I think I heard a comedian say it, but it made me start to think about that. It's true--think of any situation where you have light and dark. I came up with a few examples, but I know there are so many more.
Genesis 1:3-5Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. And God saw that the light was good. Then he separated the light from the darkness. God called the light “day” and the darkness “night.”
When you flip a switch "on," the light speeds and spreads outward; it only stops when you put the switch in the "off" position (until the bulb blows, of course, for the cynical ones out there).
Darkness is the absence of light. Day is not overtaken by night; we have night because the earth has turned away from the sun. That's true of hearts, too.
The best that darkness can do against the light is to make a shadow--which is really just caused by things that grow or are built up and block the light from reaching everywhere. Yep, we can create shadows in our hearts, too.
I want the doors of my heart to be open, always, to THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD--not even to have any shadows from things that stop the light from reaching every corner.
"For God, who said, “Let there be light in the darkness,” has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ." 2 Corinthians 4:6
But more than this, I need to be a light shining and spreading in the darkness.
Jesus said, in Matthew 5: 14“You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden.15No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house.16In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father."
It feels like darkness is spreading across this nation, but it is an absence of Light. Christians need to shine brighter and spread the Good News to light up farther and farther--to every corner of the world.