Jesus Christ rings a bell in many ears and is regarded as one of the most frequently mentioned names. To some people, He is a historical figure associated with the founder of a global religion. Others view Him as one of the many prophets mentioned in their holy book. As Christians, however, Jesus Christ is much more than a religious icon. He is the human expression of God’s love for humanity, seeing that He became human to die and save us from sins. Apart from being our Saviour and Redeemer, Jesus Christ is also the Light of the world and, as such, the light of our lives as Christians.
Jesus Christ is the light of every Christian’s life as He brings spiritual, emotional, and mental enlightenment as He comes into your life. We see this clearly in John 8:12, where the Bible declares Jesus as the world’s light and states that anyone who follows Him will not walk in darkness but have the light of life. To this end, recognizing Jesus as your life’s light is one step to living a fulfilling life on earth.
What Does Jesus Mean as the Light of Our Lives?
To understand what Jesus meant when He declared Himself as the Light, we must first know that light denotes illumination and can be of two kinds. The physical and natural light comes to our body through our eyes and the things we see. However, this light only benefits our bodies and minds, and although it is good, it wasn’t what Jesus was referring to.
In John 8:12, Jesus declares Himself as the Light of the world. This means that Jesus is the only source of spiritual light in a Christian’s life. Spiritual light here refers to spiritual truth, revelation, and divine knowledge. So nothing else can give a Christian the needed spiritual truth and illumination for a purposeful and fulfilling life on earth.
Also, Jesus being our light means it takes Him alone to shine and remove the darkness of sin that dwells in the hearts of anyone who comes to Him. He, as light in us, influences and empowers us to live above our sinful nature and desires. Interestingly, even though most Christians know this truth, they fail to truly grasp how Jesus Christ is the light in their lives.
How Is Jesus Christ a Light in My Life?
Aside from being the source of our spiritual knowledge and truth, Jesus is the light of a Christian’s life in many ways. Some of them include the following:
Jesus Brings Peace
Life in itself is filled with numerous challenges and ups and downs. Every day on the news, we hear several reports of violence and unrest in many parts of the world. Even in our small corners, we experience obstacles and hurdles that bring sorrow and despair. With Jesus in our lives, however, there is an assurance of peace. Jesus declares in John 14:27 that we should not be afraid or troubled since He would give us peace that even the world cannot offer.
In Philippians 4:7 also, the Bible declares the peace that Jesus brings as one which is above all understanding. To this end, Jesus in our lives would not automatically solve all life’s problems, but it will help us rise above them so that they do not trouble our minds.
Jesus Brings Purpose to Our Lives
Getting lost and distracted by the noise and plenty of life activities is very easy. Once such happens, finding our path and truly seeing our purpose becomes difficult. Jesus, as the light of our life, however, helps us find and stay with our purpose even as we follow Him. He brings spiritual direction, which points us to the right path and ensures we stay on it.
In John 10:10b, Jesus stated that: “I have come that they may have life and have it more abundantly.”
In simple words, Jesus in us enforces our existence in life and our purpose on earth.
Jesus Brings Joy and Lasting Happiness
As humans, we would continually want joy and happiness, which ordinarily is not guaranteed since our happiness is often due to external circumstances. With Jesus, however, our lives become much happier since we no longer have to look for external factors to make us happy. Jesus stated in John 15:11 that His joy would be in us and make us complete. Thus, our joy as Christians would come from within us and last longer.
Jesus Offers Hope and Comfort
There are times and stages when we experience difficulties and feel down. There are days when we feel lost and alone or just plain tired. In these times, Jesus gives us hope and promises better days. The beautiful part is Jesus doesn’t just give us everything we need all at once. Rather, He promises us a beautiful future that strengthens us to continue living.
Jesus Teaches Us to Love
Jesus Christ is the human expression of God’s love for humanity, as proven in John 3:16. This unconditional love is not based on our actions or failings. It is based on us being sons and daughters of God. With Jesus in our hearts, it becomes easy to spread that same love to others and stop attaching too much importance to actions and intentions. Since we can love everyone around us, we become more sincere, genuine, and happier.
Jesus Brings Strength to Our Lives
Philippians 4:13 reads this: ” I can do all things through Christ that strengthens me.”
From here, we see that Jesus Christ, as the light of our lives, empowers us in every situation and condition as we find the strength to go on in Him. With Him as our light, we no longer rely solely on our strength; we can always draw power from Him. Of course, once divine force is involved, achieving things become easier and quicker.
Jesus Teaches Us to Forgive
The presence of Christ in our lives as light helps us to learn forgiveness in our dealings with others. Jesus comes into our lives and burns away the darkness of sin in our hearts. In removing sin, the light of Christ changes our hearts and puts us on a path to becoming like Christ. Christlike attributes like forgiveness, tolerance, and patience grow in our hearts, making forgiving those who wrong us easy.
Final Words
Jesus Christ is more than a famous name or an influential figure; He is the light of every Christian’s life. In addition to being God’s expression of His unconditional love for us, He is also the source of our spiritual light and revelation. Jesus Christ not only shines within us and through us, but He also brings peace, teaches us to love, helps us forgive others, gives us joy and hope, and gives our lives purpose and meaning.
For Him to truly be a light in your life, however, you should follow and focus on Him. When we live with Him in our lives and place Him first, it becomes easy for Him in us to shine and then for us to shine to the world as well.
