If I simply asked the question, “Moth or Cockroach?” almost everyone is going to quickly choose “Moth.” It is not that moths are that appreciated or that dear to us, but compared to how we feel about cockroaches, they are our best friends! Most moths that we commonly see, are not very pretty, and they can be a little bit of an aggravation. Cockroaches, however, are seen by most as ugly, nasty, germ-carrying, repulsive bugs. We may not choose moths because we are so enamored with them, but we would definitely choose them over cockroaches!
When the lights turn on
When we consider the actions of both animals, however, we see that all too often we actually choose to side with the roaches. One of the interesting things about a moth is that it is somehow drawn to the light. If there is a light on somewhere, that is where the moths will congregate.
In stark contrast, cockroaches are drawn to the darkness. In a home where cockroaches are present, if you walk into a dark kitchen and turn on the light, you will probably see some roaches. You will see them heading toward a dark corner, under a shelf, in a cabinet, or wherever they can find that is away from the light. They seem to be determined to escape the light and run to the darkness.
“I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.” - John 12:46
Are you a Moth or a Cockroach?
So often we seem to imitate the cockroach rather than the moth. When the light of God’s truth and holiness shines on us, we often tend to flee to the darkness. Instead of running to the light like the moth, we try to escape "the Light" and turn toward darkness. Instead of confessing our sin, and coming into alignment with God’s truth and His righteousness, we choose instead, to cover ourselves in darkness and pretend that we can create an alternative to God’s way that is equally good, or even better. We will re-define terms, justify our behavior, spiritualize our actions, and even argue that God’s Word is wrong, or isn’t God’s Word at all.
We feel inconvenienced, unsatisfied in our fleshly desires, or discontent with some aspect of our life, so we avoid the light of God’s truth and run towards lies. We decide the Bible is “out of date,” or not relevant to our current day, or that it is true for some but not others. We decide that life begins when it is convenient for us, in our specific situation, but it depends on our situation.
“For at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light.” - Ephesians 5:8
Be drawn to the light
We run to the darkness in our moral failure. We invent words and terms that make our sin and our confusion sound more normal. We take that which has been extreme and try to make it mainstream. We think that we are bathing ourselves in some new light, but really, our eyes are simply growing accustomed to the darkness. May God give us grace to be more like a moth, and less like a cockroach! May we be drawn to the light, and not run toward the darkness.
As Lent commences on Ash Wednesday, we are entering a time of introspection and prayer leading to Easter. Let us reflect on the significance of death preceding resurrection, urging readers to embrace a daily practice of surrendering self in preparation for our spiritual transformation.