When there’s very little light around, even the tiniest amount can light our way.
When I was growing up, we visited the beach every summer. We loved to walk on the beach at night. All of the condominiums had bright lights that shined onto the beach. It was almost as well-lit at night as it was during the daytime.
Times have changed and scientists have found that the lights confuse baby sea turtles and have them swimming into shore instead of out to sea. So, when I take my children to the beach, there are no bright lights from the land to light the shore.
Amazingly, though, the moon seems much brighter than when I was a kid and so do the stars. We still take our kids to walk on the beach at night and the moon is enough.
How often in our lives to we seek the light of praise and acceptance from others? It starts when we are kids, but it never really ends. Most of us are constantly aware of what others think of us. For some, acceptance becomes a type of idol. We develop a need to be praised and emulated by friends and co-workers.
God knew this was a problem for His people. He told them early on when He led them out of Egypt that they were not to intermarry or make treatise with the people who were in Canaan. Was He trying to keep them from expanding their horizons and making new friends?
Nope. He was trying to keep them safe. He knew their nature. He knew their tendencies. Their tendencies were to turn away from Him and towards what wasn’t good for them. Don’t we have the same tendencies?
Is it easy for us to worship God and nothing else? Is it easy for us not to care about money, new clothes or new cars? Is it easy for us to offer hospitality to someone who really needs it and not care what our house looks like? Is it easy for us to go to church and seek to serve instead of seeking to be served?
Ouch. How many times have we made the statement, “I just don’t get anything out of the worship service.”? But, isn’t worship service about worshiping God and not about us. Are we there for what we can get?
I think if we begin to focus on the one true light we need in our lives, a lot of this other spiritual light pollution will start to fall away. I mean things like caring what others think and say. I mean things like focusing on material things. I mean things like feeling like our church isn’t serving us or perhaps God isn’t serving us.
I think we need to think of Jesus like the old Uncle Sam poster, that stated “I want you.” He was pointing and had a very stern look. I picture Jesus with His arms outstretched calling to us in a gentler way, but the message is the same. He wants us and when we focus on that light, the only one that matters, it becomes more than enough.
What do you think about spiritual light pollution? Feel free to comment.
Have an awesome day!
Wendy 🙂