But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 1 Peter 2:9 

I think I have a bit of Seasonal Affected Disorder (SAD).  It starts in the fall when the days shorten and continues through the winter months.  I often feel moody, depressed, sluggish, irritable, anti-social and have difficulty focusing on tasks (even more so than usual! HAHA).  Getting up before it is light and returning home in the dark is particularly brutal.  At least, I seem to notice an increase in these tendencies in November through February.  It corresponds to the symptoms for Seasonal Affected Disorder listed on the NIH website.  Scientists have traced SAD to the reduced light of winter.  Functioning in semi-darkness for long periods of time negatively affects some people more than others, I think.

I had a buddy in seminary named Don who discovered he had SAD when he was serving as a missionary in northern Scotland where it rains almost 200 days a year.  He found the dreariness to be seriously debilitating.  One of the therapies for SAD is bright light, so the doctors recommended that Don sit under a 10,000 sun lamp for a couple of hours each week.  Don would do his sermon preparation each week under a sun lamp.  That is one of the reasons I always have my lights on and blinds full open in my study here at the church. 

I need to be living in the light. Needless to say, spring is my favorite time of year, particularly when we shift to daylight saving time and the sun is up early and goes down late.  That shift from darkness to light is tangible for me.  I can actually feel my spirits lifting when I live constantly in the light. 

As a follower of Jesus, I thrive on light too!  I love the way the Bible says it, “declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light!”  Christians have been called out of darkness into His wonderful light.  We live in pure light.  We experience the astounding allure of God’s unconditional love, the dazzling brilliance of His full and free forgiveness and the warmth and glow of His unqualified delight.   

The world is a dark place and the enemy tries to cast his shadow.  Shame, condemnation, sin, brokenness, unhealthy comparison; these are the tools he uses to try to lure us back into the shadows.  But, it is in the light that life is found. 

Marvelous Light by Charlie Hall is a song that we’ve been singing at GLCC for some time.   

Into marvelous light I’m running

Out of darkness, out of shame

By the cross You are the truth

You are the life, You are the way 

Lift my hands and spin around

See the light that I have found

Oh the marvelous light

Marvelous light 

Celebrate God’s light this week and invite someone out of darkness to experience God’s wonderful light!