Be in the Light

1 John 2:9-11—Whoever says, “I am in the light,” while hating a brother or sister, is still in the darkness. Whoever loves a brother or sister lives in the light, and in such a person there is no cause for stumbling. But whoever hates another believer is in the darkness, walks in the darkness, and does not know the way to go, because the darkness has brought on blindness.

Jesus Christ is the light of Christians, and as Christians we profess that we walk not only with the Light, but in the Light.  Being a Christian calls for us to transcend our human darkness and tendency to judge, hate, and hurt others—we must overcome our vulnerability to emotions like rage and vengeance.  This of course is much easier said than done.  There are times when our human side feels justified in hating someone else – sometimes that hate is aimed at someone who has personally hurt us.  Other times it is aimed at someone committing an injustice against someone else.  The feelings of anger and hate are a natural to humans—but Scripture tells us that hate prevents us from being in the light.  Here are some concrete steps for overcoming hate, anger, and the desire for vengeance when those emotions rear their ugly heads in your life.  1.  Speak love, not hate.  Whether you say it to yourself in a quiet space or to the person directly, it is important to speak uplifting words instead of poisonous and hateful words.  Mantras like “open my eyes to see the good in others” or “my heart is open to love my opponent” will create space in your Spirit to begin to feel love toward others.  It will take time, but sometimes we must speak a new spiritual state into being.  2.  Do love, not hate.  Continue to behave with kindness and generosity toward others, even if you don’t feel like they deserve it.  I’m not saying to let someone take advantage of you.  Rather, consider how your actions can either perpetuate negative emotions and behaviors or transform them into something better.  If you have the choice to be kind, always choose kindness.  3.  Imagine yourself in the other person’s shoes.  It might seem like trite advice, but it really does help to try to understand the other person’s perspective.  So often in my career and personal life, I have found myself jumping to conclusions about why other people are acting a certain way.  Once I’ve taken some time to listen to the other person and observe their circumstances, I’ve come to understand that most of the time their behaviors really have nothing to do with me.  Usually, their attitudes are affected by stressors in their life, and acts of kindness from me can help to change their attitudes, alleviate their stress, and make them feel better about themselves.  4. Pray. Some people might be tempted to think that prayer is over-rated.  I personally know some people that treat prayer like a slot-machine where they put in a prayer for what they want and expect God to pay out dividends of happiness. That’s not the type of prayer that is likely to heal a broken and hurting heart, though.  When we feel emotions like hate, anger, and the desire for vengeance, we can pray to God and ask Him to help us channel these emotions into acts of love and kindness.  We can ask God for wisdom, knowledge, and understanding so that we can act lovingly toward others.

Today as you pray and meditate on His Word, take an honest inward look at your heart and ask yourself if you are harboring any anger or resentment toward anyone or anything. Place those feelings before God and confess your desire to convert those feelings into love.  Pray that God would continually keep you in the light so that His love might rain down on all those around you. Rejoice in the love God has shown you and recommit to living in His Light every moment of every day.