A Hide and Seek Worldview of Love
“For at one time you were in darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord. Walk as children of Light.” Ephesians 5:8
“Again 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
“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13:34-35
“For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” 2 Corinthians 4:6
Picture this. You are counting, “One-two-three…..” as your friend scrambles to hide. Uncovering your eyes, you see a blanket-covered body in the middle of the hardwood floor waiting to be found. You pull back the blanket and their child-like eyes widen with excitement.
You are beaming because your friend is radiant with joy. They are no longer in darkness. Walking in the freedom and joy of the light, they have been found.
God is our seeker and day after day I am reminded that I am His found. When we feel alone and empty under our ‘blanket of sin’, God finds us and gives us opportunity to pull the blanket back and walk into light. God wants us to see the light and be with Him. He proves this by sending His only son, Jesus, to die for our sins and our mess-ups.
When I think about what wakes me up in the morning, it is not the fact that I get to go re-teach the surface area of a cylinder, drive 20 minutes to work, or buy groceries at Publix. What wakes me up in the morning is the fact that I get the opportunity to love—to love my God and share that love with those around me—in all the things that I do.
I get to teach my students the importance of self-control. I get to smile at the neighboring car. I get to ask the Publix cashier how her day is going. Although seemingly simple actions, God impacts each of those moments.
What matters to me is that each and every person knows that they are loved and cared about by another person—a stranger, a parent, a teacher, a neighbor; but most importantly, they know that they are loved by their Creator.
My worldview is simple—love. As a sinner, my own personal love is messy, conditional, and selfish. Therefore, daily I ask that God would move me out of the way and allow His unconditional, selfless, and pure love and light to shine through my sinful self.