Have you ever heard of the Shopping Cart Test? It’s that viral idea that your response to your empty shopping cart reveals your moral compass. There’s no reward for returning it. No punishment if you don’t. But you still have to choose: will you put it away or leave it next to your car?
It’s a small test—but it’s real.
Because the truth is, the decisions we make when we don’t think people see us, reveal who we really are.
Sometimes, it’s easier to pick the wrong thing.
You didn’t want to lie—but the truth felt risky.
You didn’t mean to stay stuck in a relationship that kept you doing the wrong things—but comfort felt safer than change.
It’s not always ignorance that holds us back—it’s preference. We don’t reject the light because we can’t see it. We reject it because we don’t want to let go of the dark.
When the Light Exposes What We’d Rather Hide
“And this is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the Light; for their deeds were evil.” — John 3:19 (NASB 2020)
Jesus didn’t wait for us to figure it out—He came near. The Light entered our darkness. It illuminated everything.
And here’s the thing: Light isn’t hidden.
It’s here. Right now. But when it shines, it reveals what we’d rather keep in the shadows.
There is healing in the Light. But exposure comes first.
“This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all.” — 1 John 1:5
What Light Does: HEAL
Confession Brings Cleansing:
When we finally confess what we’ve hidden, shame loses its grip.
Light doesn’t just expose sin—it erases it.
Repentance Restores Relationships:
The apology you’ve been avoiding? The conversation you’ve been putting off?
The Light makes reconciliation possible by revealing our part in the brokenness.
Freedom From Bitterness:
God’s Word shines into the places where pain has made a home.
It reveals the next step when your emotions are foggy and fear is loud.
It invites you into freedom from grudges.
Your Identity Is Restored:
The Light came for you before you ever searched for it.
A mirror can’t work without light; how can we see who we truly are without being illuminated?
The problem isn’t light’s absence—
it’s our preference for shadows.
Why We Love the Darkness (Even When the Light Is Better)
Jesus didn’t say people avoid the Light because they don’t understand it.
He said they avoid it because they love the darkness.
“And this is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the Light; for their deeds were evil.” — John 3:19
That might sound harsh, but it’s true
We don’t always reject the Light because we’re confused. We reject it because we’re committed—to comfort, to control, to the illusion that we’re fine.
Here’s how that plays out in everyday life:
- You lie to protect your image: Not because you’re trying to hurt anyone—but because you’re afraid of what people would think if they saw the real you.
- You stay in a toxic relationship: Not because you don’t know it’s unhealthy—but because being alone feels scarier than being mistreated.
- You avoid church or spiritual conversations: Not because you’re an atheist—but because deep down, you know if God is real, some things in your life would have to change.
- You keep watching what you know is destructive: The porn. The violence. The endless scroll. Not because you don’t feel conviction—but because it offers instant escape.
- You replay the offense again and again: Not because you want to be bitter—but because forgiveness feels like losing, and anger gives you a false sense of power.
- You flirt with spiritual things—but stop short of surrender: You light incense, manifest good vibes, or call yourself “spiritual but not religious.” It feels safer than trusting a God who might ask you to lay everything down.
Why We Turn the Light Down: To Hide
We don’t usually reject the Light outright—we just try to dim it.
We obey God where it’s convenient and ignore Him where it’s costly.
We twist the truth just enough to stay comfortable.
We stay busy so we don’t have to feel convicted.
We call sin by softer names so we can keep it close.
But that’s not life. That’s survival.
And eventually, even the darkness becomes familiar.
“Awake, sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” — Ephesians 5:14
The shadows stop feeling foreign—
they feel like home.
And we start to love the darkness. Not because it’s safe but because it’s what we know.
The Truth: We Don’t Want to Change
Darkness doesn’t demand transformation.
Shadows let us manage instead of surrender.
They let us stay in control. Keep secrets. Avoid conviction.
So we dim the bulb of God’s truth so it fits our preferences:
- “I’ll follow God in this area… but not that one.”
- “It’s not that bad—everyone’s doing it.”
- “If they hadn’t hurt me, I wouldn’t act this way.”
- “I’ll deal with that later… I just don’t want to feel it right now.”
We stay asleep.
We stay stuck.
And we call it normal.
The Light Isn’t Here to Shame You. It’s Here to Heal You.
The Light has come.
And Jesus didn’t come to shame you.
He came to remake you.
You don’t have to fix yourself.
You don’t have to perform.
You just have to step out of the shadows.
Because when you hide in the dark, you stay stuck.
But when you heal in the Light—Jesus makes you new.
Action Step: Step Into the Light
This isn’t just a metaphor. It’s a choice.
Give your life fully to Jesus.
Let the Light expose what’s broken—and heal it.
Confess what you’ve hidden.
Share the Light with someone else.
You hide in the dark.
You heal in the Light.
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Your story isn’t over. Your faith isn’t finished.
And your next step might be simpler than you think.
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