“For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made His light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.”
- 2 Corinthians 4:6 (NIV)

Natural light is a really neat thing. It allows us to see, and the more light available to us, the more confident we are in the steps we take. One of my old substitute teachers from high school once thought of light as the absence of dark. If this were true, the universe is teeming with holes of “non-dark.” One tiny spark of light is enough to cast illumination in a dark room. So the analogy of light shining out of darkness illustrates the role of God’s Spirit in our lives, and how it affects the world. God gives us “the light of the knowledge of the glory of God,” which is then reflected into our daily lives, and how we interact with people.

The next part of chapter 4 goes on to talk about the adversity that comes from knowing Christ. I want to extend an application of this next passage, but not to take Scripture out of context, nor to induce a “martyr complex.” I see God using our times of adversity, whether it’s because of persecution, personal struggles, or troubles of daily life, and being a beacon to those who do not have the hope of Christ in their lives. When people see us struggling with our homework, or frantically studying for tests, yet have a peace and hope that everything will turn out exactly as God deigns, it encourages them and maybe gives them a longing for the same.