Me and My Shadow

Murphy’s Law states that what can go wrong, will go wrong. Almost, Mr. Murphy, almost. What he should have said was “What could have gone wrong, did go wrong.” The fall, in the Garden of Eden, cursed all of creation. The choices of Adam and Eve were against God’s will and brought sin into man’s life. Some people theorize that Peter stands at the gates of Heaven, welcoming all the Saints home, but I bet it’s really Adam and Eve saying “I’m sorry” to everyone that enters. Poor Adam and Eve!

Throughout the Bible we see clearly that the world we live in, the physical and spiritual world, is fallen and under the curse of sin. We can see the death, disease and disaster that thrive in the world around us. Because of sin, mankind was separated from God and in need of redemption through our Savior. Jesus died on the cross and rose again because he loves you immensely. The redemption that he offers restores our relationship with our Father and completely pays for our sin debt. We are born again, new creations! However, as Paul explains in Romans, even after we are reborn in Christ and are freed from the curse of sin, we still carry the effects of our sinful nature while in this life. This ‘body of death’ is like our shadow – it goes everywhere we go and is always lurking around behind us, trying to pull us back into the dark. God told Cain to watch out – sin was lying just outside the door, waiting to pounce! We can’t escape it. Where ever I go, my shadow follows. I catch myself making some of the same old mistakes, choosing the wrong path, even when I know better. I have quoted Paul’s words many times – “I don’t do what I want to do. Instead, I do what I hate. I do what I don’t want to do.” The bible also calls it the “earthly man” vs. the “heavenly man” or the “old man” vs. the “new man” (not to be confused with your husbands, ladies). Either way, we see the struggle we all face as believers, the tug-of-war, the potential Dr. Jekyll-Mr. Hyde syndrome, the 9-round shadow boxing match going on in our lives.

Hans Christian Andersen wrote a story called “The Shadow” in which a good man’s wicked shadow separates from him and becomes fatter and richer than his former master. The shadow attributes this to his realistic acceptance of evil in the world as opposed to the man’s naive faith in good, beauty and truth. The shadow tempts the good man to become like him but the man refuses. The story ends with the evil shadow having the good man executed. Fortunately for us, the real story has the opposite ending – God will do away with sin and we will be transformed, to live forever in the presence of the light of Christ - no shadows allowed! The bible makes it clear that we will be victorious because Jesus has already won the fight for us:

• 1 John 3:2 Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.

• Romans 8:29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.

• Philippians 3:21 (Jesus) who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself.

• 1 Corinthians 15:49-50 And just as we have borne the image of the earthly man, so shall we bear the image of the heavenly man. I declare to you, brothers and sisters, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.

• 1 Corinthians 15:57 But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

How do you get rid of a shadow? You turn up the light! The more we live in the Light (Jesus), the less effect our sinful nature will have on our thoughts, our feelings, our motives and our decisions. But this takes time and maturity so keep up the good fight! Remember, shadows hide behind you when you face the Light!

May God richly bless you – Jesus loves you and so do I!

Ref: Romans 7:14-8:2