You Have Made My Dark World Light Again
You Are the Light of the World: What Are You Reflecting?
- Richard Lee Sorensen
- 2018 23 Oct
"You lot are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be subconscious. Neither do people calorie-free a lamp and put it nether a basin. Instead they put it on its stand, and information technology gives light to everyone in the house. In the same manner, permit your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Begetter in heaven." Matthew v:14-16 NIV
Light of the World: Allow it Shine!
"This little light of mine, I'm gonna allow it smoothen!"
As a child, I could sing the lyrics to this vocal by heart. I would sit in my Sunday school form with all of the other kids and mimic our teacher to her joyous approval. Simply the act of being at church building made me experience like I was doing what the song was telling me to do. The church I attended, while hidden a few miles deep in an agriculturally zoned area, was big in size and full of people every Sunday morning time. Together, nosotros were a beacon of hope to all who happened to drive by. I felt as if I was a brilliant light shining right along with everyone around me and that made God happy. Piddling did I know that I was nothing more than a mirror reflecting my surroundings.
I had no light to polish because I wasn't a born-again believer in Christ. Instead of letting my middle be a mirror that reflected His calorie-free to the earth, I let my flesh be a mirror and reflected whatever was effectually me.
Nosotros can reflect the low-cal that Jesus shines from inside born-again Christians, but it's zip more a re-create. Information technology cannot save the states from the darkness that plagues us unless information technology penetrates us and makes united states new. It tin, notwithstanding, play a trick on us into thinking that all is well.
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What lite of the earth are you reflecting?
In church, I reflected the community's words and actions because I longed for their approval. I wanted to do what anybody else was doing, but most of all, I wanted to hear, "Good job," for the things that I was doing. Information technology was no different when I was exterior of the church building. I mirrored darkness, which is the very absence of light, even so it was besides the verbal representation of who I really was. Two hours a calendar week within a Christian atmosphere could non compete with the 166 hours a week I spent outside of the church filling my head and heart with anything simply Christianity.
I stayed in darkness till I turned 22 years one-time and God'southward dearest finally broke through. His light began to shine forth and now, I take information technology with me everywhere I go. How could I hide information technology?
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Permit Your Light Shine
The Sunday school teachers in my church, every bit well every bit the preacher at the pulpit, did everything they could to grant me (and everyone else within earshot) an understanding of the importance of what it ways to be a bright light for Jesus.
They wanted united states of america to grasp the significance of being a searchlight for the lost and a spotlight through the darkness that pierces the conscious to sin. They wanted us to know that the people, not the building, was the city on a hill where those that lived in darkness could come and find residue. Together, we could shine like a buoy in the night, yet, all as well often, if feels every bit if we are using the very walls of the church building to act equally a basin to cover the light that is fabricated to cast out the darkness of the world (Matthew 5:15).
Photo Credit: Thinkstock/Robert Wiedemann
Where are you shining the light of the world?
Unfortunately, knowing the words of a song wasn't the effect for me. However, living them outside of the church was. I had no reason to do what the lyrics were proverb exterior of church because no one I knew was doing them either. At that place was no Bible reading or worship singing. We did not preach to the lost or pray for anything except our food. In that location was nothing outside of church that made me feel similar I should human activity equally I did when I was in the church. Church building stuff happened in church because that's where it was supposed to happen. Information technology was normal to run into it in that location. At that place was something unusual about seeing a man or woman talking about Jesus while out in the "existent world."
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"We must shine wherever nosotros go..."
If the church is to be a brilliant light, a urban center that's built on a hill that cannot be hidden (Matthew 5:xiv), and then we must shine wherever nosotros go to bear witness the earth that the walls of a building volition not, nor have they ever been built equally a means to, confine us. Just as we do not firm the very Spirit of God to hide Him away, the place where we come together for fellowship, growth, and praise isn't made to hide us from the world. Christ doesn't need u.s. to protect Him. Just the opposite is true! He wants to smooth and so brightly through us and our lives that we alive dangerously bright for all to see. Christians shouldn't go on it to themselves.
Photo Credit: Unsplash/Luke Stackpoole
Whose approval are you seeking?
What I didn't realize before, that I very much sympathize now, is that we reflect that which we seek approving. If it'south the approval of man, so we reflect nothing more than the very darkness within. "Well done, my good and faithful retainer," (Matthew 25:21) should be the only blessing we seek.
This begins with the understanding that church is not but a once a week activity that nosotros practise considering we've always done it. Going to a church doesn't automatically brand you a Christian, merely on the other hand, never leaving the Church doesn't aid make anyone else 1 either. Also, we aren't just coming against the darkness, nosotros are likewise coming confronting an enemy that seeks to deceive with a light of his own.
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Don't Let Satan Blow It Out!
ii Corinthians eleven:13-14 informs us that, "For such people are fake apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading equally apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light."
It'due south amazing to call up that we as Christians are not the only ones trying to shine a light on a world trapped in darkness. Information technology just makes sense every bit Satan is a deceiver and a liar (Revelation 12:ix). He's not really deceiving anyone if he comes bearing the darkness that is already within. His deception comes when he appears to bring a light that tin save us from our darkness. Yet, his light shines on the comforts and sins of the globe that seem to bring a small fourth dimension of salvation, simply simply exit us feeling sick.
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"We must shine the true light to the earth at present..."
The light of Christ shines to help us resist the sins of this globe through the revelation that the pain of resistance is for but a moment, but its joy is eternal. We must shine the true light to the earth at present because it is far easier for the lost to exist institute and rescued than it is for the deceived.
- The lost that realize they are lost see your light and run to it.
- The deceived see your lite and try their all-time to convince you that they take not only found their way, only that you lot should follow them equally well.
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Permit It Shine Till Jesus Comes!
Information technology is heartbreaking to know that we accept the power to hibernate our light away from the earth. This tin exist done because of a lack of faith in the power of God or a focus of fear on the power of the world that He has called us to reach.
The church is made for Christians to grow and get, and this should be evident to all around. If non, then something is wrong. I previously wrote about no one giving me a reason to shine my calorie-free exterior of church, but that does not mean that everyone in the church I attended wasn't a Christian. It doesn't even mean that the remainder of my family weren't Christians during that fourth dimension. It just meant that we did what we had always washed and felt that it was skillful enough.
Photograph Credit: Unsplash/Becca Tarter
"Betrayal the darkness...uncover every shadow..."
I hope to install an idea that nosotros should never settle for "good enough" if we are to go along growing in the organized religion and knowledge of our Lord, Jesus Christ. You are called to "Do your best to present yourself to God as ane approved, a worker who does non need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth" (ii Timothy 2:15).
We must go on to not simply expose the darkness of this world with the clarity of truth that His light brings, but also to uncover every shadow in united states that seeks to do anything only the volition of God.
Richard Lee Sorensen is a happily married father of 7. He received his Bachelor'south Degree in Psychology – Christian Counseling from Liberty University and is a Certified Professional Life Motorcoach from Light University. He helps people overcome the often emotionally overwhelming process of decluttering at Declutter Planning , and writes a weblog with his oldest daughters at Fiction and Fatherhood .
Photograph Credit: Unsplash/Jeremy Bishop
Source: https://www.crosswalk.com/faith/spiritual-life/you-are-the-light-of-the-world-what-are-you-reflecting.html
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