A couple of quotes in my collection just seemed to fit together this morning –
“Fear has a very concrete power of keeping us from doing and saying the things that are our purpose.” (Luvvie Ajayi)
“Only when we are brave enough to explore the darkness will we discover the infinite power of our light.” (Brené Brown)
Darkness and fear go hand in hand. We fear what we cannot see in the darkness – maybe an upcoming event or a place that we’ve neve been before. We let our imaginations replace the unknown with all sorts of improbable but none the less seemingly possible negative outcomes. We talk (think) ourselves out of even trying. Only through overcoming those fears and exploring the things that we kept ourselves from doing can we really discover our own power and purpose (our real destiny).
In Sunday School you might have learned a little song titled “This little light of mine”. That is a perfect song for children but as we grow up we accept things less and less and need to understand things more and more. Perhaps this Scottish hymn is more appropriate for adults.
Fear and self-doubt are both darkness’s that can creep over us and prevent us from doing and saying the things that we want to say and should say. They hold us back from our purposes in life. At the end of every dark tunnel of fear that we allow ourselves to enter is the same ultimate fear – the fear of death. It is only when we can conquer that fear that we can let our light shine. The only path to conquering that fear is the one that Jesus provided for us on the cross – through belief in Him, through faith. Bob Dylan said it in the lyrics for the song Precious Angel: “Ya either got faith or ya got unbelief and there ain’t no neutral ground.”
So, fear not, believe in Christ and be brave, and let the light of your faith shine in whatever darkness you face. The light of your faith will show you the way out of the darkness and it may help illuminate the path for others facing the same darkness. Let your light shine in the darkness.
NormsMilfordBlog 
I like the songâ¦.This little light of mine. Iâm going to let it shine. I have no control over what other people do with their âlights,â but I can troll my own.
I know Iâve said this before, complimenting you for what you do for the church. Norm Wernershines his light. Thank you.