Monsters Under The Bed

"There are monsters under the bed, dad." He couldn't fall asleep. In the darkness every sound, every shadow, ever bump filled his imagination with the horrors his little mind could conjure. "There are monsters under the bed."

I assured him that he was only imagining them and that there were no monsters, but he wasn't convinced. I prayed with him and we asked God to fill his mind with good thoughts and to calm his heart. I tucked him tightly beneath his covers, kissed him on the head and told him he would be fine. As I started to get up he said, "daddy, there are monsters under the bed."

"There are no monsters and I will prove it. I turned on the light and got him out of bed. We shine a flashlight under the bed and in the closet. we looked behind the door and the dresser. "See," I said. "There are no monsters." He seemed to calm down and again I tucked him in hoping he would be able to fall asleep. "There, do you feel better?" I asked.

He nodded, gave me a hug and said, "can I keep the flashlight. Monsters don't like the light." 

We once lived in darkness, sold into sin, deserving of God's wrath, and lost without hope. But someone shared the gospel and the light of God's truth shined in our lives and we were convinced and transformed. The light revealed the monsters within and chased the darkness away.

If we are to submit to the high call of unity we have to live as children of the light and allow the light to peer into the crevices of our darkness and redeem it for the glory of God. Wherever the light touches the darkness disappears. Wherever the truth is spoken falsehood is made clear. Where hatred and discontent has marred relationships the love God reconciles.

The world is watching us to see if our lives are different. They are not looking to see if we obey rules, or conform to religious expectations. They want to know if we truly love one another and if that love spills out towards them. They will be uncomfortable when truth is spoken, but will their angst be tempered with love. Darkness fears wrath, but the light of God's love in Christ not only exposes the darkness, but convinces those in darkness of the joy of redemption. 

When the light exposes and convinces those in darkness of their sin, their need of a savior is made visible, and what is visible is light. 

Each of us has monsters that keep us awake at night. Expose them to the light and allow God's grace to free you from the bondage of fear. Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you. I'm just saying.

Ephesians 5:13, 14 But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says, "Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you."