Genesis 1:3
Then God said, "Let there be light"; and there was light.
Matthew 5:14
"You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden."
Brain is kind of muddled this morning.
Long night, but a good night (Does that make sense?)
These verses have been rolling around in my head, and I have been asking, "What are you trying to say through them?"
It was God's idea for light to be created. He thought is. He spoke it. It came into being.
We tend to equate light with the ability to see or be seen.
The Matthew passage refers to believers. I find it interesting that God says that we "are the light of the world." We are that beacon that draws people to the message of the cross. The message that brings hope and says that you no longer have to live under the penalty, presence or power of sin.
Then it occurred to me. If I am light, that means that I can be seen. IF my life is a reflection of God to those around me, then I am visible. If I am visible, then that also makes me a target for the forces of the kingdom of darkness.
Kind of a trade off isn't it.
I'm here to help and be that message, but by me doing so, I become a target to those who hate the light.
John 3:19 reads:
This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the light, for their deeds were evil.
The very fact that our lives are lived as testimony to the truth of God's word, uncovers the hearts of people as we move through our daily routine. This very thought is the reason that I do not need to dress myself up in a religious attitude or behavior. Sometimes we get the crazy idea that it's not enough to simply live this life we have been called to. We feel like we've got to define ourselves by what we wear...what we read...what we listen to. Those things, in and of themselves, are not bad or evil. What is wrong is the mindset that creeps in that tells we need to announce who we are to the world. So I have my JESUS ball cap. And I put that fish on the bumper of my car. I bought the latest T-shirts proclaiming Jesus is Lord! Why did I do this? That is the real question we need to ask. Here again, did I do it to be seen as a believer? Might need to do a self-check and see if we missed it somewhere. My Bible doesn't say "By their T-shirts you shall know them." It says by your love you will be known as a disciple of Jesus."
The other part of this whole "being light" thing, is that we are targets of the devil and his minions. The want to steal from you the joy that God has placed in your heart. They want to discourage you and create doubt and unbelief in your life to the point that your light is no longer effective. No wonder life is hard when you begin to walk out this new way of living you have found in Jesus. I remember talking with a young man and he made the comment that he'd been a Christian for a number of years and that he'd never had any trouble or battles with the devil. Life had been one big party. He said, and I quote, "I have not ever run into the devil." To me, the only way you keep from running into the devil is if you are headed in the same direction he is going in.
I'm not writing this to discourage you or to make you fear about walking with Christ. I'm doing it so you'll be aware of what is out there. Being light and salt to a world that doesn't know Jesus is probably the biggest adventure I've ever been on. To be used by God to see another person come to know Jesus is the greatest high you could ever want to experience.
Remember....
Jesus didn't say that you could be light. If you studied enough and went to church for a number of years. Never missed Sunday School and always tithed that you could get some light. No! He says that you are light. Right now, right where you are...if you are saved, then you are light. So go on.....shine a little!
God on you......
mb
No comments:
Post a Comment