Then Jesus said unto them, Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you: for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth. – John 12:35
Walking in the dark is not fun. When I was a child, the street we lived on had few lights and they were spaced far apart. If my mother asked me to go over to my aunt’s house at night to get something, even though her house was just next door, I ran as fast as I could. In the shadiest, darkest spots, I imagined the worst. I was quite sure that someone or something very big was ready to get me!
Before we became Christians, we walked in spiritual darkness. We could not see where we were going, and Satan had dominion over us because he is the prince of the darkness. But when we came to Jesus, He let His Light shine into our lives and we became the children of Light.
When Jesus was surrounded by His disciples, He tried to help them understand this application of the concept of light and darkness. He encouraged them to take advantage of the Light because He knew that in a short while, the Light would leave them (referring to when He would be crucified). He told them that they needed to walk in the Light, meaning that they needed to learn and apply the teachings that He had shown them. Jesus told them this because He knew the disciples’ lives would be better if He was with them and if they followed His ways. Just as I was able to run to my aunt’s house without fear or stumbling during daylight hours, we can go through life without fear or stumbling if we walk in Jesus’ Light.
Not only did Jesus want to prevent His disciples from falling, but He also wanted them to let the Light that He had put into their hearts shine out for others to see. His desire was for everyone to experience the peace and assurance of being in the Light. Only by walking in the Light themselves could the disciples be lights to others.
God also wants us to be lights in this world. We, too, can only do this if we have been partakers of the Light from Heaven. It only takes one prayer to bring God’s Light into your life, and then you can share it with everyone around you!