Sunshine into your Soul

Today’s reading:  Luke 11:29-54

Your eye is a lamp for your body.  A pure eye lets sunshine into your soul.  But an evil eye shuts out the light and plunges you into darkness.  Make sure that the light you think you have is not really darkness.  If you are filled with light, with no dark corners, then your whole life will be radiant, as through a floodlight shining on you (Luke 11:34-36).

If you know me at all, you know I like sunshine.  June, when the sun rises before 6am and doesn’t set until after 8pm, is my favorite month of the year.  I like warm vacations at the lake or the beach.  I hate to shiver and have no interest in cold or snow…EVER.  As I was reading our scripture for today, it is no surprise that I was drawn to verses 34-36 (in the New Living Translation).  Sunshine into your soul…filled with light…your whole life will be radiant.  Sign me up for that!

The Bible tells us Jesus is the light.  We can be filled with the light by drawing near to him and choosing to walk in his ways over our own ways.  Selfish desires and sin blot out the light of Christ’s presence and make us much less responsive to his leading.

If I want more sunshine, if I want to be filled with light so my radiance influences others for good, what then do I need to do?  Invest in my relationship with Jesus by studying his word, spending quality time talking to him and investing in relationships with other Christfollowers.  Think about it, it is impossible to have a close relationship with someone when you don’t spend quality time with them.  The same is true for Jesus.  By filling my mind with things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent and praiseworthy (Philippians 4:8), I won’t have enough room in my brain (or time) to think about selfish and sinful things.

But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin (1 John 1:6-7).