Hate the Light?

I have learned after moving into a house blemishes that escaped notice at first later come to light--literally.  We had probably lived in our current house a week before I noticed a sizeable crack in the gyprock near the front door that could only be seen when the door was open and daylight streamed in.  It might as well have been colourful neon lighting with the attention the light brought to the crack in the wall.  This revelation led to closer inspection of other areas and resulted in gyprock and paint repairs in a large scale.  At one stage nearly the entire ceiling of one room required attention because the light shining across it made the irregularities an eyesore.

Every time I saw a bad patch on the ceiling or wall that needed repair, it marked the beginning of a multi-step process:  cut out the old patch, add sufficient backing, fitting the new patch securely, spread several coats of joint compound (mud), sponging or sanding, priming and a couple coats of finish paint to complete.  The process of repairs stretched over several days because time is required for the various materials to sufficiently dry.  There were at least 3 or 4 times I thought I was completely done with all patchwork repairs only to discover there were additional areas that required attention.  As a result, the laundry was littered for a couple months with joint compound, buckets, tools and paint.

Last night I had a repeat of an familiar experience:  light from a lamp illuminated a mark on the wall that I had not previously noticed.  Upon closer inspection, I found a crack had been papered over and it seemed only paint was holding the joint together.  With a grin I expressed my displeasure--not with poor craftsmanship or the condition of the wall--but with the light that exposed it and the prospects of fixing it meant a lot of work for me.  Was the light the problem?  No!  The light merely exposed a blemish on a wall which revealed a problem in my own heart that would prefer there would never be a problem I need to address.  My annoyance with the light showing another bad patch that needs work is something Jesus spoke about in a spiritual sense.  Naturally people would rather stay out of the light than be exposed as flawed should it shine upon us.  We do not frame holes punched in walls:  we prefer to cover holes in a wall with a picture than admit they exist because they present an unflattering picture of us.

Jesus taught in John 3:18-21:  "He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. ¹⁹ And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. ²⁰ For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. ²¹ But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God."  Jesus is the Light of the World, and many people were loathe to be exposed as sinners needing spiritual sight, repentance, forgiveness and salvation.  People are condemned because light has come into the world and men loved darkness more than light.  We are unable to rectify our faults or wash ourselves of sin:  when we come into the light with humility and transparency, it is Jesus Christ who cleanses us and changes us for good.  He does all the work of illuminating and saving, and our part is to come into the light, repent of our sin, and submit to God.

Don't hate the light of God's word, the conscience God has given you, or the various means God uses to make our sinfulness, selfishness and folly apparent to us.  We ought to hate sin and take prompt action to repent of it, cease practicing it and walk in obedience to God.  God is good to shine His light upon our hearts to save us from sin and ourselves.  Galatians 6:9 is an appropriate exhortation concerning repairing walls and repenting of sin:  "And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart."  We ought to treasure and love the light God shines upon us so we might be prompted to address our own sins so the work Jesus has begun and is faithful to complete continues to advance.