“Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.

Isaiah 60:1

“Rise and shine!” The phrase every mother sings to wake her children each morning. She flings open the drapes while her squinty-eyed children grumble and moan, desperately clinging to their last few moments of slumber. They can try to disregarded all that light, and heads can be buried under covers for a few more minutes. But the light has come and it cannot be ignored.

We often act the same way toward God. We are His children after all. He “flings opens the drapes” and shines His light on us, but we grumpily cling to the comfort of the darkness. We grumble and moan because what He expects, we aren’t quite ready to give. We prefer to keep sleeping under sheets of selfishness and pride, beneath heavy blankets of bitterness, jealousy, and greed. We bury our heads and desperately try to ignore the light that illuminates what we would rather keep hidden. The longer we can ignore the radiance of God’s light, the longer we can remain asleep—asleep to sin, asleep to our purpose, asleep to the lost and the hungry, asleep to who He created us to be. 

You are called to radiantly reflect the light of Jesus, regardless of the things that make you want to hide. It’s time to rise and shine! Time to arise to your God, to move on from your struggles, and welcome His glorious light. He is calling you to reflect that light into the lives of those around you—into the darkness of their hearts. But first you need to wake up and face the darkness of your own. Wake up to any sin that controls and consumes. Turn your heart to Jesus and clothe yourself instead with the righteousness He desires (Colossians 3:12-14). Get up and get dressed! The Light has come and He cannot be ignored! You are loved! 

The night is almost gone; the day of salvation will soon be here. So remove your dark deeds like dirty clothes, and put on the shining armor of right living. 

Romans 13:12