“Mind the Light”

1 John 1

5 This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.

6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:

7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

In the text 1 John 1:5 – 7 it is written that God is light. The situation in South Africa and also in the world is dark indeed. In Education even at creche level all other religions are taught and Christianity is discriminated against. Little children are not being given the chance to be taught in the ways of God. Instead other cults, like Islam and Jehovah Witness, are spreading rapidly and propagating their ideologies which are often detrimental to the well-being of young people. Many people are dying of AIDS despite having been warned in the past. In this terrible darkness we should be a light to show people the way.

Christian you should be minding the light – looking after, providing light in the dark world today. A woman in USA called Kate Walker, tended the light of a lighthouse year in and year out after her husband’s death. She kept his last words when he said “Kate, mind the light.” It wasn’t easy but because of her faithfulness, many lives were saved. Are many lives being saved because we as Christians are shining forth the light of God?

Light goes together with holiness. Isaiah, a king among preachers, cried out when he saw the holiness of God that he was a man of unclean lips. Do we realise who God is? We cannot fathom God’s light. Man is sinful and can’t stand in the light of God.

But God made a way for His people. In Cape Town, a lighthouse was built too high up and the clouds would cover it and the ships couldn’t see its light. A second lighthouse was built lower down. In the same way, God is far above our capacity as people. For this reason, He sent His Son, the Lord Jesus to help us.

What puts out this light? It is nothing else but sin. This effectively neutralises the light of God and extinguishes the blessing we could and should be to the people around us. Instead, we find fault with our brother Christians.

What are you going to do, Christian? Deal with your empty, fruitless life and mind the light of God.