May 4: Walking in the Light
Hiding feels safer, but it’s also lonely.
“But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
John links two things that might not seem connected. If we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another. Honesty and closeness come together.
When you were drinking, there was probably a lot of loneliness, even in a crowded room. You couldn’t let anyone all the way in, because then they’d see. So relationships stayed on the surface. People knew a version of you, but not you.
Walking in the light changes that. When you stop hiding, real connection becomes possible. People can love the actual you instead of the performance.
John goes on. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth isn’t in us. That’s an honest description of denial. Then comes the promise: if we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
All. Not most. Not the small stuff. All.
Step Five puts this into practice. You admit your wrongs to God, to yourself, and to another person. And something happens in that room. It’s often one of the most honest conversations people have ever had. And the person listening doesn’t pull away. Often they share something of their own. Fellowship grows out of the light.
You might think the person hearing your Fifth Step will see you as worse afterward. More often, people find the opposite. A kind of trust forms that wasn’t there before.
Today, practice a little light. Not the whole inventory yet. Just one small honest answer when someone asks how you’re doing.
Notice also that John says the blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin while we walk in the light. The cleansing isn’t a one-time event you have to earn back. It keeps happening as you keep walking honestly, day after day.
One thing today
When someone asks how you’re doing today, give an honest answer instead of “fine.” One true sentence. Notice how it feels.
A prayer
Lord, I’ve been lonely behind my secrets. Thank You that You’re faithful to forgive and to cleanse. Help me walk in the light, and give me real fellowship with the people You’ve put in my life. Amen.
Learn more about Step Five.
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