It’s happened more than once. You would think that I would learn by now! I’ve stood in our closet and selected an outfit for the day, put it on and  the bathroom light still approved when I looked in the mirror.

Then it would happen — an “Oh no” moment when stepping outside our front door into the sunlight would reveal a major flaw in my matching colors. The closet and bathroom lights that I had trusted had fooled me — again. It was either a light that wasn’t bright enough or a version of artificial light that tricked my eyes. Blame either culprit — I was leaving the house looking like one who was color blind.

Spiritually speaking, there are still enormous numbers who suffer from color blindness — a product of learning in a less than loving-like-Jesus environment. There are times that I can almost feel the halo on my head when I consider my perceived lack of color blindness, and then just as quickly I’m convicted of my thought patterns that are far from Christ’s, and the halo vanishes.  Conviction replaces it.

I go back to the main reason — it’s seeing life in the wrong light. Man’s artificial light can actually  illuminate bias and prejudice. We see “dimly” when we use artificial light and not the light of God’s Word.

I take joy when I read the story of Jesus being confronted by the jury convicting the adulterous woman and how He “Word-handled” the judgmental assembly. Boy did He show them! Then in my own world, Jesus shows up when He finds me forming less-than-kind attitudes about people that are different from me. Conviction is never a delightful experience.

It takes true wisdom from much prayer to deal with people situations that confront us everyday. If we settle for man’s artificial light, we will never see like Jesus sees. However, if we allow the floodlight of God’s Word to illuminate our minds, that Light is so intense and brilliant that it reaches our hearts and does its transforming work. The result? No more thoughts by the world to what our “true colors” are.

Letters to Camille Anding may be sent to P.O. Box 551, Brookhaven, MS, 39602.