Turn on the Light This Instant!

I’ve lived in the same apartment now for 15 months. (This is a record for the longest I’ve lived anywhere in the past four years. But that’s beside the point.) Something that has bothered me all 15 months is the dungeon that is my master bedroom.

I have huge, four-inch thick pads of foam smashed against the window for soundproofing purposes, and that means not a lick of sunlight comes in. That’s no big deal; I don’t spend enough waking time in my bedroom to want to look outside the window (and into a parking lot, mind you). But when I am awake in my bedroom, I do need to see what’s in the room. I have one ceiling light, and it has thrown a very dull and weak, yellowish-hued glow immediately onto my bed below it. It has never had enough oomph to light up anything else, leaving my room dark and shadowy.

I tried not to let this bother me for 15 months. Though I have a box of spare light bulbs in my closet, it never dawned on me to change the bulb until maybe 2 months ago (I’m blonde, you know). Then, for two months I would say things to myself like, “You hardly spend enough time in the bedroom to warrant a new bulb. Just wait ‘til the current bulb burns out.”  Or, because I knew I couldn’t change the bulb on my own (again, I’m blonde), I would think, “Submitting a work order to the maintenance crew is a hassle. Just make do with what you’ve got. It’s not that bad.”

But I was never happy in my gloomy bedroom. Even turning on my table and floor lamps in addition to the ceiling light left me feeling stuck under heavy clouds. Finally, one day I kicked myself in the pants, fired up my laptop and submitted the work order to my leasing office. Then I went to my closet and dug out my spare light bulbs to find the brand I had on hand was Philips Natural Light: “Provides light similar to natural daylight.” This sounded good.

When I got home from work less than 24 hours after submitting the request, I walked into my bedroom … flipped the switch ...  and?! … was nearly blinded. The entire room – not kidding – shone like the mid-day sun! Rays of crystal clear, shining white light blazed into every nook and cranny of the room. I couldn’t even look up because the source was so bright. My entire countenance lifted and I let out a yelp of glee. Suddenly, standing in my room lifted my spirits rather than dampened them. All thanks to a different bulb.

Is the room of your life currently dark and dreary? Are your shoulders drooping as you observe your surroundings? Are your excuses piling high, justifying your sense of being stuck? What if, if you could change nothing in your room, you could perhaps change the light by which you see those things? And what if you didn’t even have to do the work? Would you consider asking the Holy Spirit to change your bulb, to give you the eternal Living Light?

"In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it." John 1: 4-5

"Jesus spoke to them, saying, 'I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.'" John 8:12

 

Turn the Key This Instant!

We Americans own a lot of STUFF. We collect it and store it all in our homes (which, whether we rent or own, we also pay an arm and a leg for). And when we max out our storage capabilities, we swap out “old” or worn out stuff for new, improved, “better” stuff. It’s just the way we roll.

Now, when we leave our massive storage units (homes) for the day, we do little more than turn the key and go. Not a second thought is wasted. Our stuff, in all of its expensive glory, is sitting there – free for the taking – if we only neglect to turn that bolt. That one, small, tiny piece of metal. When it slides into place and sits there, it keeps out the bad guys. It doesn’t do anything fancy. It just stands in place and denies the chance that anyone could waltz in through the door and walk out with our treasures. Little do we think about how small our piece of protection is in light of the sheer volume of stuff it is protecting. But without it we are foolish; we set ourselves up for great loss.

In much the same way, the Holy Spirit is the deadbolt of our lives. When we engage the Holy Spirit through prayer, we turn the lock and tap into His mighty protecting power. When we fail to pray, we leave the intricacies of our lives susceptible to attack, damage and thievery. We grow distant and we doubt His ability to work on our behalf. We think, “It’s just a two-inch piece of metal, what can it really do for me?” And so we neglect a life-giving, powerful and protected relationship with the living God because our perception is off. We know the “stuff” of our lives (our relationships, health, circumstances, attitudes, etc.) is valuable, but we don’t “turn the deadbolt” of prayer to engage the Holy Spirit because we doubt.

Is the house of your life under protective guard? Or are you prone to attack, if not perhaps enduring an invasion even now? The bad guys are eager to come in, and they won’t wait for an invitation. But prayer is your deadbolt. Are you turning the key?

“Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you—guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us.” 2 Timothy 1:14

“If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” Luke 11:13