Where Is That Stinking Light Switch?

1 John 2:9-11
He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now. He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him. But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes.

The other night I was preparing for bed. You know the drill... Praying together as a family, going through the house turning off the lights, getting that last drink of water and that's when I saw it. I had left the flood lights on the corner of my house on. So I had to go outside on the porch and turn them off. Instead of turning on the kitchen light I convinced myself to just go and do it. I had been on the back porch a million times and I often go through the house in the dark at night. So I stepped onto the back porch, bare foot and all. One thing that I had forgotten about was that earlier in the day we cleaned up a little and moved some things around a bit. One of those things was a weight bench. Maybe we moved it two or three inches at the most. But no matter how much it was it was definitely enough to cause damage. I came around to find that light switch and BAM! My three littlest toes on my right foot felt like they fell off and were rolling around on the porch.

I didn't give this lesson much thought until this scripture came up in my studies. The Bible tells us that when we hate or build a wall of hatred toward another person that it is like stumbling in the darkness. We think we know the way, we think we know best, but the truth is that pain is just one more step away. Think about this...countless times I have been on that back porch in the dark. Making my way with ease through the obstacles that were on it. But this one time proved that I needed the kitchen light.

You may have lived with anger, bitterness or even hatred and have been able to stumble your way through the darkness. Eventually it will bring pain. This scripture tells us that we can't say we hate our brother and be in the light. But if we love others then "there is none occasion of stumbling in him." Isn't it funny that when we are in the dark we try to open our eyes wider thinking that this will help us see? Why not just turn on the light?