We've started waking up in the dark

It’s been a few days since we confused our internal clocks with the change to daylight saving time. While I’ll eventually get used to the time change, I’ve revisited some previous experiences related to waking up an hour earlier in a dark room.

I had deluded myself into thinking I knew where everything was in the room until it became pitch black. I lost my bearings and began running into things not in my normally traveled path. Regaining my bearings was impossible until I saw a glimmer of light.

While the old saying “familiarity breeds contempt” is often accurate concerning interpersonal relations, here’s a re-statement of that concept, particularly regarding sin, I read many years ago: “Familiarity breeds acceptance.” Wasn’t it Hitler’s propaganda minister who said if you repeat a lie often enough, people will eventually come to believe it? We’re in some very dark times now, and we’re hearing a lot of lies about contemporary world events that are being equated with some of Hitler’s antics.

We mustn’t allow ourselves to be duped into thinking sin is acceptable because we may become contemptuous or even fearful of the light (John 3:19-21; Hebrews 10:26-27; 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12; Colossians 2:8). This also can happen in our Christian life if we become complacent in Bible study, church attendance and Christian living out of pride or overconfidence in our salvation (Proverbs 16:18; 2 Corinthians 13:5; 2 Timothy 2:15). We must maintain a balance in each of these areas to not lose our bearings during the dark times in our life, possibly losing our way altogether (Psalm 119:9-10; John 14:6; Hebrews 10:19-25).

My night vision is gradually improving so I can avoid obstacles that aren’t really in my path and about the time the sun catches up with daylight saving time, I’ll become accustomed to getting up in the dark again. Changing the time in the fall isn’t nearly as bad as springing forward because we go from daylight to daylighter.

It’s also that way with church attendance, Christian living and personal Bible study. When we walk in the light, we’re more likely to see what lurks in the edges of the shadows understanding that, while those traps don’t seem nearly as vicious as what’s hiding in the deeper darkness, they are because the results of being trapped are the same as the results of being devoured (1 John 1:5-9; 1 Peter 5:8; Hebrews 12:1; 2 Timothy 2:24-26). We’ll also be showing those around us how pleasant living in the light really is (Ephesians 4:17-24; 1 Peter 2:11-12; Matthew 5:14-16).

When daylight saving time begins, using a nightlight for a few days is beneficial to provide a glimmer of light to help us find our way in the darker room. God’s word and his Spirit are definitely necessary as our ever-present source of light to keep us on track in life so we can avoid waking up in eternal darkness (Psalm 119:105; Matthew 25:30).

Is that light in your life?

Leonard Lauriault is a member of the Church of Christ in Logan who writes about faith for the Quay County Sun. Contact him at [email protected].