Does anyone remember this movie? Joe's Apartment. I remember it for the way the roaches scattered when Joe or someone else turned the lights on. It seems unrealistic until you actually see it happen. Roaches scattering before the light. Sometimes I feel God built into nature ways of showing us our behaviors.
For example, if a group of people are talking about a certain thing you do; work out, eat too much, text and drive, check your neighbor's mail, eavesdrop at work, or any number of things, you get on the defensive. They may not actually be calling you out, it may just be a general topic of conversation and you read into it your faults, insecurities, and shortcomings.
TRUTH, NO MATTER HOW IT IS PRESENTED, SHINES INTO OUR LIVES TO REVEAL AND MAKE DARKNESS FLEE FROM OUR HEARTS.
We run away from the light of truth for many reasons:
1. Believe that my way is the right way.
2. Know the truth, but don't want to hear it again.
3. Fear of conviction or accountability.
There may be others, but there is one serious thing about light; it shows all your faults. The other day my temp boss asked me to use the big work light to check the paint job in the kitchen. In all reality, the paint with the house lights on didn't look bad. When I brought that giant work light into the room and turned it on, every single flaw in the paint was exposed. I spent a good twenty minutes just touching up light spots. This was no fault to my boss, he is an excellent painter. But when the purity of the light was turned on the wall, even the best painter's work will reveal flaws.
This is one of the strongest pictures to me of how we compare to Jesus. Even the best of us, when compared to Him, blatantly show the mistakes and oversights of our lives. We are to then work on becoming more Christ-like. Daily we are being sanctified through the working of the Holy Spirit in our lives. It's a process, continuing all through this life until we step into eternity.
Wonder why cockroaches run from the light? they don't want to get caught.
Wonder why people run from the true light of Jesus? they don't want to get caught.
DARKNESS HATES LIGHT BECAUSE LIGHT EXTINGUISHES DARKNESS.
When you get defensive, step back and ask yourself if what that person is saying has a grain of truth to it. I'm prone to selfish behaviors so when I start acting like a recluse, then it's a good sign that I'm being selfish. Props to my wife who calls me out sometimes. This helps, husbands and wives, don't get all high and mighty acting if your spouse comes to you saying you need an attitude adjustment. Take their advice and take a look at yourself.
God will use the people around us to point out our flaws, and man does it suck when we recognize it. Most often we pick out the behavior in other people:
"Oh girl, did you know that she has been running her mouth all over town?"
"I sure did, I can't believe someone would do that. Did you hear about...."
Try it next time that you notice someone's particular attitude or behavior and ask yourself, do I do this? It's easier to recognize because it's already so familiar and particular to yourself.
One great way to get started in this process is to read Scripture. I find that Proverbs has a wide range of ill human behaviors to look at. Meditating on these can help you to understand what needs to be done. For example, "Like a city whose walls are broken down is a man who lacks self-control" Proverbs 25:28.
Take this verse and meditate on it.
1) a city without walls is easily defeated
2) a city has no resistance to outside forces
3) a man with no defenses is a man defeated
4) a man with no self-control has no control
Scripture is rich with knowledge of God and how to live, but be careful, for it is not just a good read with helpful tips, there is also powerful Light that will shine into your life, revealing your flaws and bringing you to conviction and hopefully repentance.
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