God is Light
Lately I’ve been pondering our modern beliefs and how they agree or disagree with what Scripture teaches. The Bible says there is a wisdom that is of this world, but we need the wisdom that comes from God. If “scientific” beliefs are in opposition to what the Bible teaches, then they should be considered wisdom of the world. This wisdom has been corrupted by Satan, who disguises himself as an “angel of light.” Isn’t it interesting that the Bible says that God is light and is the One who gives us wisdom and understanding? Satan uses deception to make us unfruitful for God’s kingdom. He holds the unsaved in deception to lies. He even deceives Christians about God’s ways and His creation to make us weak or sickly and unfruitful. I am on a quest to gain better health in my later years and stay strong and alert so that I can be a light for my children and grandchildren.
One area of interest to me has been light therapy. I bought a red light mask a couple of years ago to help with some problems on my face and neck and for acne for my daughter. The benefits of red light are amazing! It makes sense that light would have healing properties because God is light, and He is our healer. God often uses physical realities as object lessons for spiritual truths. We must have Jesus, the Light of the World, living in and through us for spiritual health, so the sun, which is our source of light from God, contains all the spectrums of light that give health to the body.
Light is so important to life that it was the first thing that God created. He spoke it into existence on the first day of the creation week:
Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. So, the evening and the morning were the first day. Genesis 1:3-5
Light is a metaphor throughout scripture for righteousness and goodness. Get a concordance and look up all the verses using light. The word is all over the Bible and is used in a positive way. Light helps us to see the path – spiritual light helps us the see the “path” of Christ. We won’t stumble on things in the path if there is sufficient light. We won’t stumble on our spiritual journey if we allow the Holy Spirit to guide us and illuminate the way. Light is the opposite of darkness, which is a metaphor for evil and sin. We are told to live in the light by John:
This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. 1 John 1:5-7
Not only is God the Father light, but Jesus, God the Son, told us that He is the Light of the world!
Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness but have the light of life.” 1 John 8:12
Since God is light, He desires for His children to show the world His goodness by becoming more like Christ every day. Our lives should reflect His light through obedience to His commands and love for others.
“You are all children of the light and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness.” 1 Thessalonians 5:5
With all of this in mind, I began to realize that much of the hype about the dangers of sun exposure was overblown. The sun provides the energy for life on the earth. Without its light there would be no life. It wouldn’t make sense for God to give us the sun for physical life and then make exposure to it dangerous. God created Adam and Eve and put them in the garden with no clothes and in full sunlight! Of course, baking in the sun for too long without building up a tan will cause a burn and damage to the skin, but the modern belief is to slather with sunscreen, wear sunglasses and avoid all exposure. It might surprise you to know that we need some sun exposure to be healthy. Here are just a few benefits of sunlight:
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Better Sleep – According to the National Institutes of Health, an hour of sun exposure in the morning will help to set your circadian rhythm and regulate your serotonin and melatonin levels. When serotonin is increased it helps to improve your mood.
Increases Energy and Strength– Sunlight sends signals to your brain to wake you up and make you more alert. Giving vitamin D to the elderly can promote better strength.
Vitamin D Production – Sunlight produces vitamin D in the body. Many people are deficient in this important vitamin, probably because we don’t get enough sunlight on our bodies.
Lowers Blood Pressure – Sunlight causes the skin to release nitrogen oxide which causes arteries to dilate. This could help to lower blood pressure.
Kills Germs – UV rays have antibacterial effects and the heat from the sun decreases viral load.
Heals Wounds – The infrared wavelength of the sun can be great for wound healing and decreasing pain.
Better Bone Health – Vitamin D works together with calcium to strengthen bones.
With all these benefits it wouldn’t make sense to stay completely away from sunlight. The general advice we receive is to cover up completely with sunscreen. However, there are chemical ingredients in most brands of sunscreen that cause or potentiate skin cancer when they oxidize on the skin. It is important to use a safe, non-chemical sunscreen when you know you are going to have too much sun exposure leading to sunburn. Sunburn can cause skin damage, so it should be avoided by gradually building up a tan. In fact, the vitamin D that is produced by sun exposure helps to prevent cancer according to some studies. Diet is important because what we eat can affect the way the sun reacts to our skin. Ultra-processed foods high in seed oils, sugar, white flour, and additives cause inflammation and oxidation and will interact with sunlight to make you more susceptible to damage, or even skin cancer. When spending time on the beach or at the lake you should be eating fruits high in antioxidants and drinking water with electrolytes to maximize the health effects of sunlight and avoid getting burned. Of course, if you have already had skin cancer, you should be very careful because sun exposure could be dangerous for you.
My conclusion in the matter is that for me, safe sun exposure is a good thing that elevates my mood and keeps my vitamin D levels high. I think God gave us the wonderful sun and the light and energy we get from it as a good and perfect gift. The man-made toxins we have introduced into our environment and our diets have made sunlight dangerous for some people. If we work to lessen our toxic load and avoid over exposure and burns, we should be able to safely enjoy the gift of light and healing that is sunlight.
