I once read a book by Larry Osborne titled, Contrarian’s Guide to Knowing God.  In one chapter, Osborne discusses what he calls “The Dimmer Switch Principle.”  He explains it this way:

“It’s a simple principle.  Here’s how it works: When we respond to the light we have [in obedience], God gives us more.  When we don’t he takes away the light we already have.  Now catch this.  It’s not just that we stop growing when we ignore what we already know.  We actually lose the light we once had…On the other hand, whenever we respond to the light we have–no matter how dim it may be–God grabs the light switch and turns it up.  Note these words in Proverbs: The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, shining ever brighter till the full light of day.  But the way of the wicked is like the deep darkness; they do not know what makes them stumble (4:18-19).”

Here is Osborne’s conclusion:

“At the beginning of our journey with God, many of us don’t do a very good job discerning between right and wrong…But the longer we walk in obedience, the clearer the spiritual picture becomes.  Subtle distinctions that were once indiscernible become obvious; things we would never have noticed at first suddenly can’t be missed.  I find this to be incredibly encouraging.  It means I don’t have to worry about all the things I don’t know.  I just have to respond to the light I have, and the rest will come with God’s time…Maturity and spiritual depth take time.  But I can please God right away because it’s not a matter of how much I know or how long I’ve been at it.  It’s a matter of what I do with what I already have that matter most.”

Let’s stay committed to walking in obedience to the light we have, so that God will continue to turn up the light of His Word in each of our hearts and lives.