Remember the old joke about the guy who lost his wallet on the street?
A passerby asked, “Where do you think you dropped it?”
“Oh, I didn’t lose it here.”
“If you didn’t lose it here, why are you looking for it under this street light?”
To which the man replied, “Because the light is better here.”
In our pursuit of personal and spiritual growth it’s easy to live in the illuminated areas of our life. Our strengths are fun to operate from and even display to others. We like brightly shining familiarity. And we are comforted by the confidence that flows from operating in areas of competence and mastery.
Vocationally speaking, a gifted mechanic is never more at home than when he is on a crawler under a car, trouble shooting a problem. A surgeon is never more at home than when she has scalpel in hand. Or as one of my surgeon friends used to tell me, “A chance to cut, a chance to heal.” One who is all charm and goodness in their social graces loves the opportunity to work a room full of people, helping others feel at ease.
We like our personal strengths. They are well lit areas.
Yet what about our weaknesses? What about the genuine deficiencies in our character?
We tend not to shine a light on those. We prefer to look where the light is better.
If what we’re looking for is deeper character, a richer and more genuine relationship with God, then we’ve got to go where the light isn’t good. Those shadowy hidden places in our being where our weaknesses live. That’s where we’ll find what we’ve lost. Failings that caused us to lose our heart. Sins that caused us to lose our credibility. Blame, unforgiveness and pain that we have become addicted to. Fears that have stolen our courage.
And behind all those, the lying enemy whose evil purpose is to steal our Hope and keep us from understanding our true identity in Jesus Christ.
It won’t happen under the street light. We’ve got to go to the dark place to find what we’ve lost. Yet when we decide to go (and it is our decision to make) Jesus goes with us. He walks with us in the dark places, giving us strength to face our fears, faults and failings. And because He promised never to leave us or forsake us, we’re never alone in the dark place.
Though it might be difficult to imagine, no One wants you to experience an abundant life more than Jesus. He said Himself, “I came that you might have life and have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10) The abundant life can’t happen without going into the dark places to vanquish the past that is holding you back from your future. It’s not an easy battle. But Jesus is ready and waiting and chomping at the bit to go there with you and kick some devil butt.
The enemy wants to keep you looking under the street lamp. The light’s great but there’s nothing to find. Jesus wants to take you into the dark place and reclaim everything that was lost and stolen so you can experience His abundant life.
Praying that you’ll choose to take the light of Jesus into your dark place.
“Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there be any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”
– Psalm 139:23-24
“Nothing worth having comes without some kind of fight.You’ve got to kick at the darkness till it bleeds daylight.”
– Bruce Cockburn, “Lovers In A Dangerous Time”
Todd A. Thompson – June 17, 2009
