I've been Ranting a lot recently about how less is more sometimes. About how sometimes the least you can do is the most you can do. But that's actually NOT what I want to say tonight. Because to end this Rant series about being still--calming the storm inside so that what's REALLY inside can come out--its important that we understand that being still is the calm BEFORE the storm, so to speak. And I'm going to quote 1 Samuel 30:6, as I often do, because its one of my favorite memory verses... and because it fits. "And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God." There was a big old storm raging around David. The enemy had come in and stolen everything that was important to everybody in the camp. They were so distraught that they were going to kill David. But look at what David did: He encouraged himself in the Lord His God. He didn't tell God how big the storm was, he told the storm how big God was. And then he took that encouragement, and he went out and did something with it. Read on in 1 Samuel chapter 30 and you get to verse 18, which says, "And David recovered all that the Amalekites had carried away: and David rescued his two wives." See, it wasn't just encouragement for encouragment's sake. It wasn't David just trying to make himself feel better. He was distraught, and he had reason to be. It kind of drives me nuts when people say things like, "That's not something to get upset about!" Really? Because I sure am upset about it. So either you're wrong, or my feelings are invalid. And either way, you attacking me for feeling what I feel isn't going to help anybody. But I digress. David had good reason to be upset. Both of his wives were gone, along with everything else that mattered to anyone else. Sometimes when I find myself in a situation where the problem is clear and the solution is clear--The Amalekites stole people and property. Go get it back--I want to leap into action. But David didn't do that. He stayed still. He asked the Lord what he should do. And when the Lord told him to go get it back... he went. And he got it back. So being still and knowing that God is God... that God is supreme, and has things under control... doesn't mean don't do anything. Remember how meekness is not weakness? It is strength under control. We don't have to run around like chickens with their heads cut off when we know what God wants us to do. And since God is love, and love never fails... if God tells you to do it you can rest assured that He will bring it to pass. David recovered ALL that the Amalekites had carried away. Nothing was lost. But if David had fallen apart when things looked bad... same story, different ending. My point is: you don't be still and then never do anything. That's not what rest is about. Rest is not inactivity. Rest is Holy Spirit directed activity. And doing what the Spirit of Love directs you to do means only one thing. Because the Spirit of Love will only ever direct you to DO one thing: Love. So encourage yourself in the Lord. Be still and know that He is God. Fill yourself to overflowing with the love He has filled you with... and then let it out! Love the hell out of people!

When we are still, that's when (and how) we know that He (Jesus, God in the flesh, love in a body... God in OUR flesh, love in OUR body) is God. And I think its interesting that in Psalm 46:10 the word "God" is number 430 in Strong's Hebrew Concordance and it means "the supreme God." So its almost like we're saying, "Stop trying to do it yourself and let God do what He does." Because when you KNOW (and believe) that He is God, that's when you, in a sense, LET Him BE God. His strength is made perfect in our weakness, right? What did the old preacher say? When you work God will rest, and when you rest God will work. When we are still, when we calm the storm inside, that's when we can hear the still, small voice of God. The voice that only says one thing. The voice that only has one Word. "Let there be light." "I love you." God is love. God is light. Light is love. When He shined the light into (and out of) the darkness, that's when we could finally see things clearly. See HIM clearly, and in the mirror of the Word (again, love) see ourselves clearly. See Him as our loving heavenly Father and see ourselves as His beloved Son in whom He is well pleased. Not because of what we do, because remember we are BEING still, but because of who we are. And who He is. It does always kind of make me shake my head, though, when people describe, or respond to, or try to interact with, the God who is love in any other way but love. We try to respond to Him giving us a gift--His only begotten Son, His very Spirit and life--by trying to earn it. By trying to prove ourselves worthy. Remember yesterday when we asked the question, "What's gotten into you?"? Well the question I want to ask today is, "What's getting out of you?" And the only thing that CAN get out of you is what you believe is in you. So if you let external forces get into you and dictate your behavior, that's all it'll ever be. An eye for an eye. Someone hurts you and then you turn around and hurt someone else. A vicious cycle. But if you know what's already in there, deep down inside, then it doesn't matter what's going on outside. Because when you know the fire of love is inside... the fire in you will always be hotter than the fire you're in. The love in you will always be more powerful than whatever else is going on. This little light of mine, right? I'm gonna let it shine. This love that I know is inside... I'm gonna let it out. That's when love becomes charity. Because charity is love in action. Not just the idea of love, but the reality of it. Jesus going to the cross and literally laying His life down for us. Us giving everything we have and everything we are to each other. Not by trying to hard. Not by trying at all. (And I'm NOT saying don't give any effort. Love is the maximum effort that you can give. I'm saying... don't force it. Let it flow.) When we are still, that's when we can rest. And, as always, rest is not inactivity. Rest is Holy Spirit directed activity. And the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Love. That's what He always directs us to do; love. But not as a way to get something. As a result of having something. So stop trying so hard to get something you haven't got, or to be someone that you're not. Be who you are. Give what you've got. Let what's inside come out. Receive and release the love of God by letting God love you so much that you couldn't hold it in if you wanted to!

There's a cool passage in the Message Bible of the story where Peter walks on water. Its in Matthew chapter 14. And when Peter takes his eyes off of Jesus and looks at the wind and the waves... and starts to sink... in the KJV it reads like this, "And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?" That's what we always think about. He had "little faith" and that's what caused him to sink. But look at the Message Bible translation, "Jesus didn’t hesitate. He reached down and grabbed his hand. Then he said, “Faint-heart, what got into you?”" I love that. Because our problem is NEVER the storm that we're in. The problem is ALWAYS the storm that's in us. We let things get into us. We let things that have no power... control us. We GIVE things power. By focusing on them. By making mountains out of molehills. And while the KJV calls it doubt, or lack of faith... sometimes its just that when we get into something, we let it get into us. We get distracted. That's what really happened to Peter. His eyes were on Jesus and he was fine. But then he started to see what was going on around him. He started to get worked up. When the disciples first saw Jesus walking on the water, they thought it was impossible. Then Peter began to walk by faith and not by sight. And the impossible BECAME possible. But then the "reality," if I can say it that way, of the situation crept back in. Isn't it funny how "bad" things always seem much more likely than "good" things? Or when we weigh the "good" against the "bad," no matter how much "good" there is... the "bad" always seems so much worse. We can do something right a thousand times. But that one time we mess it up... THAT'S what sticks with us. I don't know why that is, but it seems to be the case most of the time. The little negative things weigh us down. Crush us. Bury what's REALLY inside until we almost can't find it anymore. That's when our heart gets faint. And that's when its SO important that we understand that the FIRST thing Jesus did was reach down and grab Peter's hand. He wasn't about to let His disciple drown. He picks us up when we fall, and He can even KEEP us from falling! Because at the end of the day, it doesn't matter what gets into us. It matters what has always BEEN in us. Even when we didn't have the Holy Spirit--the love receptor, the Spirit of Truth that leads and guides us into all truth--we were still loved. We just didn't know it. Couldn't believe it. It seemed too good to be true. We were willing to do anything to get it--which is why we wasted so much time and effort looking for love in all the wrong places--but we couldn't believe that we already had it. The wind was too loud. The waves were too crazy. The world was screaming its head off at us and it was (at that time) practically impossible to hear the still, small voice of God. We had to be still. Quiet our minds. Every night when Logan and I pray, we thank God for an open heart full of love, and a calm Spirit. That's how we keep "stuff" from getting into us. By filling ourselves to overflowing with what we've been filled with. Letting what's inside come out by knowing and believing that its in there. By receiving and releasing the love of God. Not letting stuff get into us, but knowing what's in us and letting it out!

We always want to change the outside. Clean it up. Make it look better. Calm the storm. But in reality, the only way we can affect the outside is by getting right on the inside. In order to calm the storm, we must be still and know that HE is God. In order to change the outside we have to understand that HE arleady changed it. That's what the cross was. The cross was Jesus (God in the flesh, love in a body) remaking the world in His image. Letting the light of the world shine so that we could see clearly. So that we could stop trying so hard to change everything and everybody. Including ourselves. Because this idea that "God loves you just the way you are, only He loves you too much to leave you that way," quite frankly, is offensive to me. Love doesn't demand its (HIS) own way. Love doesn't try to change us. What love does is love burns away everything that isn't really us. Love is the consuming fire that consumes everything except itself (HIMSELF). Jesus is the gardener, right? He is the One who cut away the dead branches. And I use the past tense because even though sometimes it feels like a very painful pruning process... everything that needed to happen happened 2,000 years ago. Stop me if I've already said this but, that's what the cross was. Jesus presented us to Himself as a bride without spot, wrinkle, or any such thing. He did everything that needed to be done. That's why He cried out, "It is finished." Because, well, the work was finished. And the bummer part is, the more we try to change things (people, ourselves) on the outside, the more frustrated we get. I'm telling you: Behavior modification does not, will not, and cannot result in real, lasting change. Because at the day of the day we are who we are. Or, really, we are who we believe we are. That's why its so important that we understand that Jesus took away the sin (unbelief) of the world. He destroyed the power of sin. The power of the lie that said you have to do in order to be. The lie that said, "If you eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil you'll be like God." Because we were already like God. Made in His image. The problem was that we didn't know what that image was. We didn't know who we really were because we didn't know who God really was. Then Jesus came. To show us the Father. To show us our true selves. To finish the work in order to let us rest. So we could stop running around like chickens with our heads cut off... and be still. So we could calm the storm OUTSIDE by calming the storm INSIDE. And I say "we" but of course I mean He. We live Jesus' abundant, everlasting, eternal, Resurrection Life by letting HIM live it in us, and through us, and as us. It was Jesus who was able to rebuke the wind and the waves. And it is Jesus who is able to calm our minds and our hearts (the same thing, remember? The mind of Christ and the heart of God). So "be still" isn't about something we DO. Its about someONE we be. Not someone we TRY to be. But someone we KNOW we be. That's the key to this whole thing: knowing and believing. Receiving and releasing. Knowing what's inside. Believing its in there. Receiving the love of God and releasing it to those we come into contact with! That's how we change what's outside--by letting what's inside come out!

I want to focus on two Bible verses in this Rant series in order to (hopefully) edify y'all a little bit. And I'm just going to give the two verses I want to link right from the jump. Ready? Mark 4:39, "And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm." Psalm 46:10, "Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth." Boom. And here's all I want to say today: The fire in you is always hotter than the fire you're in. Being still is about rebuking the wind and the sea (the storm) INSIDE you. So often we let what's going on around us dictate what goes on inside us. We let things wreck us when in reality those things don't even matter. I remember pretty clearly when my other mom ("step" mom) was teaching a class at Bible college and she gave us some really good advice: Before you get mad about something, think about whether or not you'll even care about it in a year. Its mind over matter, right? If you don't mind... it doesn't matter. But I admit sometimes this is easier said than done. Sometimes we just have this knee jerk reaction. This flash of anger, or sadness, or whatever that is almost uncontrollable. (Notice I said ALMOST uncontrollable. Because, believe it or not, self control is one of the fruits of the Spirit.) We get all wound up and we end up running around like chickens with their heads cut off. And when that happens we tend to make things worse instead of better. We might be trying to help, but remember my theme lately? Sometimes less is more. Sometimes the least we can do is the most we can do. Sometimes we need to take a deep breath and seek first to understand before we blunder in and inadvertantly do more harm than good. Don't they say the road to hell is paved with good intentions? And you know how I feel about hell as a destination--I think it can be a present reality, but I sure don't think God sends people to any sort of eternal torment--but the point is, sometimes you try too hard and make a bigger mess. I know that's one of my biggest problems. Because when I see a problem, I want to fix it. Right now. Permanently. And while I DO NOT believe God makes us sick in order to... whatever... or anything like that, I DO believe that sometimes we have to go through things in order to learn and grow. And sometimes we make things a lot harder on ourselves when we try to do it all ourselves. We go around and around the mountain, spend a lot of time in the wilderness, because we're unwilling to learn what we need to learn in order to get to where we need to get to. We fight the storm instead of just telling it to be still. We tell God how big the storm is, instead of telling the storm how big God is. We let anger comsume us instead of being consumed by love. We, again, run around like chickens with our heads cut off instead of being still. Calm what's on the inside (and yes, that's what the next few days are going to be about) and it effects what's on the outside. That's how we live: From the inside out. What you believe is inside WILL come out. So you need to know and believe what's inside. What's REALLY inside. And you need to let it out! Be still, and be cool, calm, and collected!

Take a ride with me as I try to finish off this Rant series. 1 John 1:7, "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." Ok. Well, I think this verse is phrased backwards. I think the way it sounds is an if-then statement. "IF we walk in the light THEN we will have fellowship one with another." But hopefully what we've been seeing (with the light shining so we can see clearly) is that we let our light shine BY fellowshipping one with another. The blood of Christ HAS cleansed us from all sin. That happened 2,000 years ago on an old rugged cross. And, really, it happened from the foundation of the world. So its not that we need to walk in the light in order to make something happen. But WHEN we walk in the light we can SEE what happened. We can EXPERIENCE what happened. Let me say it another way: The truth is the truth whether you know it or not. But knowing (and believing) the truth is what makes it true... for you. The truth HAS set you free and made you free. But if you don't know you're free you'll keep acting like a slave. You'll keep trying to get something you think you haven't got, but that you've had the whole time. You'll keep trying to earn something that was freely given. See, the light doesn't CHANGE things. The light REVEALS things as they truly are. The cross didn't change us into something God could finally love. He always has and always will love us. The cross changed us into something that could finally receive God's love. The cross is where we died to sin. Because Jesus drew us into Himself and became sin and died. So sin died. And then (with us still inside Him) He rose again. So death died. That's the new reality. The true reality. On the cross Jesus remade the world in His image. The consuming fire that is love--and don't forget that light comes from fire--consumed everything except itself (HIMSELF). Leaving only love behind. All we have to do is see it. Because what we see is what we be. See love, be love. Be loved... love. That's the New Commandment. That's the New Covenant. That's the abundant, everlasting, eternal, Resurrection Life of God. Life of love! Walking in the light IS having fellowship with each other. And we can only really do that when we understand the power of the blood. Because if we're all wrapped up in our (and each other's "sins") then there's not much chance of relationship. But when the light shines in the darkness, the darkness flees. God is light and there is no darkness in Hiim at all. How could there be? When you're in a dark room, and you turn the light on, you aren't in a dark room anymore. When you WERE a sinner, then you got saved by grace, you aren't a sinner anymore. You're a saint. A Son. God's beloved Son in whom He is well pleased. The light of the world. The light of love. Giving everything you are and everything you have. That's what it means to walk in the light. That's what it means to shine. Feed the hungry. Take care of those in trouble. Give what you've got to those that need it. Let your light shine among men and let men know who you are and what (WHO) you represent!

Being nice, being kind, loving people, is how you let your light shine. And when you do that the darkness flees. Because what the world needs is love. And God is love. God is light. Letting the light shine is letting the love shine. The love of God. The "laying your life down for your friends," giving everything you have and everything you are, love of God manifest in you and through you and as you. That's what the light is all about. And when that happens, I'm telling you, love is all powerful. Not MOST powerful, but ALL powerful. Not there is power elsewhere, but that love has all the power. Love IS all the power. Do you know why nothing can stand against the love of Christ? Do you know why love never fails? Because love is THE power. Love is the way, the truth, and the life. Love is what shines in our hearts, and out of hearts, in order to illuminate things. So that we can see things clearly. So that we can see God clearly, and see each other clearly. So that we can relate to God correctly, and relate to each other correctly. And by correctly I mean letting God love the hell out of us, and loving each other with that same love. Seeing God as Father. Seeing ourselves as His beloved Son in whom He is well pleased. And seeing each other as different parts of the same body. Seeing each other not as enemies, but as friends. Understanding that we "destroy" our enemies by MAKING them our friends. When the light shines the darkness flees. I'm trying to say that there is nothing but goodness (GODness) that comes out of reaching out to people. And here's the tricky part: Sometimes your light shines into the darkness... and the darkness sneers at it. Let me say it like this, "And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not" (John 1:5). Which is to say, sometimes you will pour your love into someone and it will seem like they just don't care. I always say "Kill 'em with kindness" but sometimes there are people you just can't reach. Like I said, tricky. But that doesn't mean you stop shining your light. I believe (well, maybe I HOPE. I don't want to get those two confused) that there will come a time when we realize, and understand, that God is light... and as He is, so are we in this world. That Jesus is the light of the world... and WE are the light of the world. That our light never turns off. It shines all of the time. Like that all-important night light. If that things flickers, or worse yet dies... trouble. But our light CAN'T die. God is light. I already said that. And in Him there is no darkness at all. So in US there is no darkness at all. Even when it might feel like it. Even when things pile up on us and its hard to see the light. It shines, and shines, and never stops shining. God loves, and loves, and never stops loving. Love never fails because love endures. Love never gives up. God showed it on the cross when He proved that He would rather die than live without us... by dying. So that we might live. He shined His light as bright as possible so that we might know what our light is capable of. So that we might love each other as He loves us. So that we might see things clearly. See who we really are... and be who we really are. We are the light. And the light shines. We are love. And we love!

Here's where it gets kind of cool. We've been talking about the receiving part of the light. The part that benefits us. When there's darkness creeping in, and we let our light shine, the darkness flees. Right? But watch this: "Feed the hungry, and help those in trouble. Then your light will shine out from the darkness, and the darkness around you will be as bright as noon" (Isaiah 58:10 NLT). This is HOW we let our light shine. Because God is light, right? And God is love. So the light is the love. Letting our light shine is letting our LOVE shine! And I'm telling you, if you feel lousy... the best way to make yourself feel better is to make someone else feel better. Stop being self-centered and start being Christ-centered (people-centered). I'm convinced that the best way to feel loved is to give love. And one of the very best ways to love someone is to feed them if they're hungry. Jesus did that more often than seemingly anything else. Even when He raised a girl from the dead, the first thing He did after performing that miracle was to demand that she get some food (see Luke chapter 8). That's one of the most basic human needs. Its hard to hear anything (including good preaching) when you're distracted by your belly grumbling. Its like that Incredible Hulk movie. The real phrase is, "You won't like me when I'm angry" because mild mannered Bruce Banner changes into the Hulk when he gets angry. But in the movie he says it in a foreign language and says it wrong. He says, "You won't like me when I'm hungy!" And if anybody knows ME at all, you know that to be true. The way to a man's heart is through his stomach, right? Food is important. So important, in fact, that when John the Revelator writes, "God is love" (1 John 4:8) the word "love" means "love feast." You really really really are what you eat. And if you don't have anything to eat... well... it doesn't get much darker than that. What am I trying to say today? I'm trying to say let your light shine. Help people who are in trouble. Give some food to the hungry. You know my "Cookie Story" so I'm not going to tell it again today. Maybe tomorrow. I'm simply saying that a little bit goes a long way. Sometimes there is nothing more important than a full belly. Especially when its empty. And sometimes its that easy to make the darkness flee. See a need and meet it. Give someone exactly what they're missing. Fill that God-shaped, love-shaped void. With God. With love. We don't always need to make this "Christianity" thing so complicated. Sometimes it really is as simple as: Feed the hungry. Help those in trouble. Reach out. Give what you've got. Lay your life down. Don't worry so much about whether or not they've "earned it" or whether or not they "deserve it." When it comes to love you can't earn it. And deserve's got nothing to do with it. When it comes to love its dark... and then God says "Let there be light." And then its not dark anymore. The darkness becomes as bright as noon. Remember how its always darkest before the dawn? Well its always brightest when the day star arises in your heart and the noonday sun (SON) shines! 

Sometimes you can feel the darkness creeping in. But you have to remember that there's a light in your house. You ARE the light of the world. The light is in you, and the light IS you. And when the light shines, the darkness flees. Let me say it like this: "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" (1 John 1:5). So let's track this: God is light. There is no darkness in Him at all. He lives in you. The light is in you, and the light is you. As He is, so are we in this world. So... using Logan logic... there is no darkness in you at all! This idea that we're constantly trying to defeat sin, or struggling with our sin nature... guys! A sinner saved by grace is not a sinner anymore. God arose and His enemies were scattered. The cross changed everything. It was the dawning of a new day. Look at 2 Peter 1:19, "We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts." And I'm not going to touch the commonly held idea that the day star is Lucifer, or Satan, or whatever with a ten foot pole. I'm simply here to say that the day star arose in our hearts 2,000 years ago on an old rugged cross. Or, I guess, to be perfectly accuracte, three days later when Jesus rose again. (Or, you know, from the foundation of the world.) That was the fulness of the new day dawning. This sure word of prophecy, this light shining into the dark place of our sorrow, or our "sin" (unbelief), is the light from that day star shining to reveal what is true! That's how Jesus took away the sin (unbelief) of the world. He showed us who we really are. By showing us who God really is. Creator and creation. Love and loved ones. That's why God created us in the first place: He wanted to express Himself to us, and in us, and through us, and as us. He--the God who IS love--wanted someone TO love. That's all He's ever done. That's all He could, can, or will, ever do. What else could the God who is love do but love? What else could the God who is light do but shine? So I guess what I'm trying to say... remember yesterday I told you all that this Rant Series was inspired by Logan's flickering night light and him impressing upon me how important that night light is (yes, I went right out and got him a new one, don't worry about that)... so I guess what I'm trying to say is: It doesn't matter how dark it gets as long as you've got a night light. You don't have to be afraid. Perfect love casts out fear. We have a rock that we can stand on, and we will not be shaken. We make things brighter when we let what's inside come out. When we let the light--or the love--inside come out. I can't think of one situation out there in which adding love would make things worse. And, of course, you have to use wisdom when you're figuring out HOW to love, because people love in different ways, and people receive love in different ways. But I've hit that note pretty hard recently. For today all I want to say is: This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine. And I'm going to watch that darkness flee. And I'm going to see things as they really, truly are!

This Rant series is inspired by my son's night light. It was flickering when we plugged it in, and he quickly reminded me how important it is. You better believe we'll be getting a new one in the next couple of days. You know, just in case. But here's what I want to say as far as the Spiritual application: "And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, even darkness which may be felt. And Moses stretched forth his hand toward heaven; and there was a thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days: They saw not one another, neither rose any from his place for three days: but all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings" (Exodus 10:21-23). And there are two things I want to focus on with this: 1. Darkness which may be felt. 2. Light in their dwellings. I know there are times when things seem dark. When it doesn't look good. When you can even FEEL that oppressive cloud of doubt and despair. When you think you're not good enough. When you think you can't do it. Its too much. Its too hard. You want to give up. But I've always said, "When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot in it and hang on!" And, furthermore, realize that no matter how hard you think you are hanging on to God... in reality HE is holding you in His hands. And HE will never leave you nor forsake you. He will never let you go. If you stumble and fall, He will lift you up. And He can even keep you from falling. Sometimes its darkest before the dawn. Sometimes when its darkest... even the smallest amount of light can help you see. Remember my theme of the least you can do being the most you can do? This LITTLE light of mine... I'm gonna let it shine. It doesn't matter how big the light is. Because ALL of the children of Israel had light in their dwellings. When my light shines... and your light shines... that's when its not dark anymore. Let me say it another way: "...Let God arise, let his enemies be scattered..." (Psalm 68:1). God IS that light. When the sun light (SON light) shines, the darkness flees. It has to. If you're in a dark room, and you turn on the light, you're not in a dark room anymore. That's how powerful the light is. That's why its so important. Because in the beginning when God created the heaven and earth (the mind and the body... YOU) His creation was dark and void and without form. We didn't know who WE were, because even though we were created in the image and likeness of God... we didn't know who HE was. We couldn't see clearly. And yet, even then, the Spirit of God hovered over the deep. Even then He was right there with us. Even then He spoke. And He said the only thing He has ever said. The only thing He has ever needed to say. He said, "Let there be light." He inserted Himself into His creation. He gave us His only beloved Son. So that as the light shined we might be able to see clearly. See God for who He really is. See ourselves, and each other, for who we really are. Stop stumbling around in the dark of night and begin to experience the bright new day. Stop trying to be someone we're not, and begin to be who we really are as we being to see who we really are. That's the power of a light in the darkness. And that's not just what we have... that's who we are!