I get the privilege of driving my kids to school almost every morning. Our trip dialogue ranges from armadillos to futile explanations of allegorical worship lyrics. Whatever the conversation, we always conclude the same way. We pull into the school and say a prayer ending with “God, help us to be light today because the Lewises are light.” That statement, “The Lewises are light,” is more than cool alliteration; it’s our family mantra. It’s our declaration that to be a Lewis means wherever we go, we reflect the light of Jesus.

The first time “light” is mentioned in Scripture is in the creation narrative. Following a bleak description of the earth as formless, empty, and dark, God declares in Genesis 1:3, “Let there be light.” In this first mention of light, God intentionally gives us a foretaste of how He deals with dark conditions. Where there is a void, chaos, or lurking shadows, His remedy is the same: light.

This concept reappears when Jesus enters humanity. John 1:5 clearly communicates that the environment for Jesus’ bright entrance was darkness. Jesus then extends this calling to His followers by declaring, “You are the light of the world ... let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:14–16, NIV). In essence, Jesus is saying: The hearts of humanity are still dark, chaotic, and formless. But as you love and serve those around you, darkness will flee and people will see Me.

So when my kids go to school saying, “The Lewises are light,” they are committing to partner with the Holy Spirit as God’s remedy for darkness. Ultimately, the presence of light in any environment changes everything!

Friend, what if God has you at that school because there’s emptiness there? What if you are in that neighborhood because it’s chaotic? What if you are on that job, in that group, or embedded in certain circumstances because God is speaking over that area what He declared from the beginning: “Let there be light.”