Real Life!
I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. – John 8:12
I love living things. They invigorate me! I enjoy smelling fresh flowers and seeing the beautiful colors of
spring after the dullness of winter. There is a resurrection in my spirit as I experience the newness of each spring season bursting forth with new
life!
One day at work, I walked into the office of a co-worker and could not help but notice his decor. Since his office has no windows where sunlight can enter,
he has gone to quite a bit of work to make his office environment pleasing. He has a large aquarium with several colorful fish, which are quite eye
catching. A ship mobile hangs overhead, and several portraits are on display. There is even a nice fountain resting on a stand, but what really caught
my attention was the beautiful plant just below it. I reached out and touched one of the leaves; it appeared to be real, but it was not. I commented
to my co-worker, “I should have known: artificial light, artificial plant. A living plant would need sunlight.”
As I thought about it, I realized that the same principle applies spiritually. We need Jesus, the Light of the world, in order to survive and flourish
spiritually. God’s Word tells us, “In him was life; and the life was the light of men” (John 1:4). For nineteen years I was without Christ, and I was
dead inside, just like that artificial plant! Then I met Jesus, and He became the light of my life. He filled me with His peace, joy, and love, and
made my life something vibrant and beautiful, like the living things in His creation that I enjoy so much.
Some fake plants are made so well that it is difficult to know if they are real or not. However, one touch always gives them a way. There is just no way
to replicate the real thing. Likewise, people may try to replicate the love and joy that come from Jesus, but it is impossible. You cannot have flourishing
flowers without sunlight, and you cannot have true love and joy without Jesus in your heart. Spend some time basking in His light today, and He will
revive and refresh your spirit!