The other day I sent my son to grab my purse from my room. The lights were off and he groped around the room for a bit then after some minutes of feigned exasperation he walked back to where he knew the light switch was and turned it on! Finding the purse afterwards took him a split second. First, he knew what he was looking for and then he knew where to look.
Have you ever stepped into a dark room? You knew what you were looking for was in the room, but you didn’t know where exactly it was in the room till you turned on the light.
When the light came on, it was easier to find what you were looking for.

I thought about this recently along these lines. Every day we are encouraged to, “look inwards and discover purpose.”
The thing is, many people are looking inwards and trying to find all these answers without direction, with the lights off. They are mainly groping in the dark, walking into unfamiliar territory with the lights off.
So, many are guessing. Guessing that the keys are on the bed, guessing that maybe they are on the dressing table or on the bedside table or even on the floor. They keep making all these wild guesses hoping that the next guess will lead them to what they are looking for.
The more they grope, the more exasperated they get. As each guess takes them further away from where they need to be. It wastes their time.

I preached to myself the other day in front of my bathroom mirror.
You see, we live in times where many of us are all things to many people. We become all those things and suddenly take on a super human form. We assume we’ve got this thing called life all figured out on our own. “We are enough.” We master the art of minimizing mistakes.

No matter how well we think we’ve mastered our homes, we still need lights. I bet you can walk around your kitchen without turning on the light. But imagine cooking in it for a minute without the light? I’m here to urge you to make your life journey easier. Turn the light on. It’s a frustrating journey when the lights are off.
What is the light? Who is the light?

“… God is light; in him there is no darkness at all…” – 1 John 1:5

A lot of us are trying to discover us, without turning on the light. Much like looking for a purse in an unfamiliar room. I can tell you, again, it is very frustrating. One minute you are walking towards the bed, sure that’s where to find the purse. Next you bump your big toe against the ottoman. Ouch. Now your toe is hurting, you spin around and grope again, this time knocking over the books.

Turn on the light!!!

Turn God on. Don’t be wise in your eyes. Don’t pretend you know how to figure this thing called life out.
You have never been in that room before, you don’t even know where things are arranged, you haven’t walked these paths He has prepared for you before. Don’t let anyone tell you that you can do it alone.
Trust me, you are nothing without Him. We all are.
Let Him lead.
His leading will keep you from bumping your toe and getting into a relationship that will break your heart in a million pieces. His leading will spare you losing millions in disastrous investments. His leading will spare you from the wrong friends, the wrong goals, the wrong choices. His light will show you the path to follow. You don’t know the whole picture BUT He does.  He is light. His light makes it clear, it ensures you do not bump into things. It keeps you from needless hurt.

Don’t grope. Turn God on!
Don’t make your life a trial and error thing. Even if you end up finding what you seek without turning on the light, there’s a priceless fulfilment that comes from doing it His way.
His leading… His leading… His leading. His leading is everything.
Resist the urge to “find your happy” or “do whatever sets your soul on fire” or “live on your own terms.”
Living that way sounds really nice, the only snag is, sometimes what sets my soul on fire may not be His best for me. Sometimes my happy today may cause me great pain in the future. No, don’t live for yourself.
Decide today to submit completely to His leading. Don’t succumb to those bits of advice to go off doing life on your own terms. Place “your terms” beside His word. X-ray them with His word and toss them out if they do not align with His word. He returns quickly. It sounds like a cliché and we have heard this so many times, but it is true. He is coming back soon and His reward is with Him. Please turn on the light. Live for Him, for His applause.

God has a purpose for your life; He has something He placed you here for. Ask Him today to show you. Ask Him today to guide you. Ask Him today to use you. Bless this world with the beautiful gift you are. Turn on the light.

“When programs, methods, and money produce impressive results, there is an inclination to confuse human success with divine blessing. Christians can actually behave like practical humanists, living as if God were not necessary. When that happens, passionate longing for God and yearning for His help will be missing—along with His empowerment.” – John F. MacArthur Jr.