Stumbling in the Dark (1 John 2:7-11)

Surprise. Surprise. I set out to cover all 26 verses of 1 John Chapter 2 and I made it through all of six verses. Those of you who are regulars in class of course are not surprised at all. So we will try it again. We will try to cover the rest of Chapter 2 but this post deals with only verses 7-11.

So often Scripture uses imagery to help us understand the point being communicated. As I think about it, it is the very way we communicate with our kids when they ask us a question or when we are trying to get our point across. In this epistle, John uses "Light" to illustrate being in God's will and "Darkness" to communicate being out of His will. In verses 10 and 11 of the ESV translation, the imagery of "stumbling" in the dark is used. As I meditated on that concept, I could not help thinking about what it is like to wonder around in my house at night in the dark. You think you know where you are going but you are never really sure and if you are not careful, there is always the risk that you will bang into some furniture, stub your toe, or step on a Polly Pocket or Barbie accessory (at the Rippee house anyway). You must be keenly aware of the risk that every step you take could result in pain to some part of your body.

Isn't that really what walking outside the will of God is like? You are not sure whether the next step you take will result in some sort of pain that could have been avoided had you just chosen to follow God and His will. Sometimes it is easier not to turn on the light when walking in your house at night because you really don't want to wake up. That can be true of our spiritual lives as well. Sometimes we are so comfortable walking in spiritual darkness and really don't want to wake up to the spiritual truth because it would demand a response from us. Like walking through a dark house where risk of injury is around every corner so to is the risk we run in our spiritual lives, only the pain can be much worse and last much longer.

Are you walking in the Light or the Dark? Maybe it is time to turn on the Light and figure out where you really are walking.