My wife and I recently watched the TV Hallmark movie, The Most Colorful Time of The Year. The main star, Christopher Russell, an elementary school teacher, suffers from colorblindness and basically lives in a black and white world. With the help of special glasses, he is able to see the world around him in full color. He went from living in the shadows of color, to a bright, exuberant world of variety, textures, and exotic hues all around.
As we look around us, we see what the world offers. We take in myriads of colors from everything we see. We’re attracted to so much! Yet, a life without Christ is basically, black and white. Before surrendering our lives to Christ, we’re actually living in shadows; shadows of the cross; in the shadows of His blessings. We’re wearing blinders. We’re missing out on all He offers us. We’re living outside the realm of the holy. Spiritually speaking, we’re dead. The cross paints a bright future for us. The cross is the bridge walking us from earth to God’s throne room. The cross removes blinders on our eyes and floods them with His glory. The cross transports us from the world of darkness and shadows to the light of God’s glorious kingdom.
“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning” (James 1:17,18).
Meaning? There’s no opportunity for God to be unfaithful or unrighteous. He doesn’t turn or shift or change His mind; He’s constant. With Christ, we’ve put on “special glasses” that allow us to see life from a different perspective. In Him, we move from the carnal realm to the spiritual realm. “For to be carnal minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God” (Romans 8:6-11).
Let’s move from the bland and mediocre, to living in the light and the colorful! Let’s move from shadows to the actual!
God Bless,
Sam
Song/video: Shadows-David Crowder Band (featuring Lecrae); Also available without Lecrae.