“The Absence of Light”                      “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.” Romans 8: 18 NIV

I don’t know about you but although I am working on it; I am kind of a compare/contrast guy.

I watch the burrito they make for the guy ahead of me at Chipotle and notice how much more chicken he got than me…and we are paying the same amount?  They gave me half the amount of chicken! 

Many of us fall into this type of trap from time to time.  We compare or contrast our lives, our haves and have-nots, and virtually all of the facets of our lives to others.

And still, we even compare our lives to lives we think we deserve or should have.  Sometimes, we don’t even compare our lives to other people but to a false version of ourselves that we’ve made up in our minds!  Eckart Tolle calls this our “False Self”. 

If you are anything like me you likely have your life that you are living and also this idea of how you thought, believed, or even hoped your life would be like.  Hopefully, the two have intersected from time to time.  Better yet, you’ve realized that visualized self is more trouble than it’s worth and just appreciating the actual life that you have!

Jesus tells us time and time again that we must not worry about tomorrow, about what other people are doing, or even about the mistakes we’ve made in the past.  We are made new through our faith in Jesus Christ-reborn into new beings.

Our scripture verse from Romans is reminding us that the things we are going through today are not worth comparing to the future glory that will be revealed in us.  We likely will, but it really is a waste of time.

Ben Franklin said “in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.” I would also argue that knowing we will face difficulties, uncertainties, trials, and tribulations is an absolute certainty.  Life will be as hard as it will be beautiful. 

The author of Romans is reminding us that while we will go through spells of difficulty, we mustn’t use that as a benchmark for the lives we are called to live.  Instead, we must focus on the glory that will be revealed in us.  Remember, darkness is simply the perception of the absence of light.  We see or feel the lack of light and call it darkness. Ever notice even in the darkest rooms your eyes will eventually adjust and begin to see shapes and even faces?

I hope you are able to find ways this year to step back from the busyness of your life to give real pause to all the blessings in your life.  Do you simply perceive darkness, the absence of light, or are you just in a place where the light has yet to break through?  Sometimes changing your environment (place, people, etc.) can be all you need to let the illuminating light shine bright into your life.  Finally, I pray that you don’t compare your current and present sufferings with the glory that waits.  There really is no comparison at all.

May it be so,
Rev. Lou Ward