Christian Living

It Works in the Light

by Terry Barlow
04/12/14
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One of the most powerfully practical verses in the New Testament is found in the Epistles of John where he writes in the first chapter that "if we walk in the light as He is in the light we will have fellowship with one another---------." It works on the principles that the blood of Christ only cleanses in the light and our spiritual enemy, on the other hand, operates in darkness. Walking in the light implies a kind of honesty and forthrightness in our interactions with each other as believers. This becomes infectious. Where one begins to do this the other often follows suit. To one degree or another, we all tend to carry hurts, concerns, anxieties and even worries around without even realizing that we're doing it. It is a habit we've learned in one way or another over the years. It's been passed down to us too as a tendency, and we've done our part to "carry on the custom." It's a habit also that we begin to unlearn as believers as we experience the blessedness of fellowship with one another and with God. There is something so freeing about this fellowship because, in part, there is this cleansing going on, with the cleansing agent being the mystical blood of Christ, that we can't even see doing its wonderful work. We can't see it but so often we can feel its powerful effect almost immediately! Why? Because we come into a place of simple communication with one another where we have nothing to hide, no facades or pretenses to maintain and no agenda or axes to grind, just being together as the Spirit leads, and being willing to open up or listen to each other in conversation. I've written and spoken about this before only because I never cease to be amazed by the reality of its working. It can't be over-emphasized how crucial this little operation is to our mental and emotional, and even physical health. If it were better understood there's no telling how much time, energy and capital would be saved at the offices of doctors and counselors. No telling. Ironically it's all about moving from little or no telling to more telling and listening in natural contexts of friendship and support, not professional ones of expert with patient or client. I think females in general are better at it because they tend to be less verbally guarded, and surveys show that they say more to each other daily. I know this is a generalization but still, as males, we can learn much from them in the area of leaving ourselves in interaction and unselfconsciously entering into the world of the other person.  Our souls are like our bodies in the sense that periodically they too need to shed "skin" or outer layers.  We identify with those layers as if they were still essentially us, but, no, actually they aren't;  they are mere remnants of a past identity.