Let us then lay aside the works of darkness and put on the armor of light; let us live honorably as in the day, not in reveling and drunkenness, not in debauchery and licentiousness, not in quarreling and jealousy. Instead, put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.
Romans 13:12b-14, NRSV
I love the light. As we remodeled our house this year I noticed I picked lighter colors and I am leaving the blinds open to the sun much more often than I used to. Perhaps a bit of this comes from being ten years older than when I painted the same rooms when we first moved in to our house, perhaps some comes simply from growing closer to God.
The lines from Romans are a good reminder that I am human, with sin and failure built right in to my life. I feel pretty good that I am not drunk and licentious in the crudest forms, but that bit of light shining in my life does find dark corners. I need that armor of light when I see those corners, and especially when I see those corners and realize I need to put on my spiritual gloves and get out that spiritual soap to get rid of the collected crumbs, dust, and forgotten spills in my heart and in my actions.
So, let the light come into my life as well as my house, and give me the armor of light that is God with me, even, or perhaps most especially, when reveling, debauchery, quarreling, and jealousy look so wonderful with their own shiny temptations.
A Prayer: God, thank you for today and being with me. Thank you for your light in my life. Help me to put on this armor, this light, and to bring this armor and light to others in our world.
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