Waste Not The Light

“You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.”
Matthew 5:14‭-‬16 NRSV

One of my mentors likes to say that you were created on purpose for a purpose. God created you for a reason. He knows what that purpose is. We need to discover it. Once you find it, your calling will feel so natural it’s like God is the hand and you are the glove.

We can look to the teachings of Jesus for God’s general will for our lives. I believe that if we pursue God in the basics, in time, His specific will for our lives will be revealed.

I used to get lost in the details. I wanted to know the end from the beginning. The trouble is, if I knew the destination, I’d try to get there as fast as possible in my own strength and my own wisdom. That’s a recipe for disaster. God desires that I walk with Him step by step, day by day.

Do I trust God? Do I believe that He knows what He’s doing and that His plan is perfect? Am I willing to surrender to God’s way of doing things? Am I a child of God and is He my loving Father?

Jesus said, “Follow Me and I will make you…”

We don’t make ourselves. He is the Potter, we are the clay. God is molding and making us as He wishes. The circumstances of our lives are the perfect place to discover what God is doing and teaching us. It’s no accident that you are where you are in life at this moment. Quit lamenting and start rejoicing. You were created for such a time as this.

The systems of this world are broken. They are untenable. Unsustainable. Without the hope of heaven, there is no hope. But this world is temporary. Our lives here are temporary. God puts His Spirit in us to transform us from creatures of wrath to messengers of peace.

I can only speak of these things with confidence because I have experienced it in my own life. Once, all was darkness. Now, all is light. Jesus is the Light of the world. He puts that light in us. Waste not the light. Let it shine brightly. Be unashamed of the Gospel which gave you new life.

God is our reward. Eternal life with Him is our guarantee. The Holy Spirit is the down payment on our inheritance. He will never leave you nor forsake you once you put your faith in Him.

Isn’t it time to shine? Isn’t it time to truly live the abundant life? A life abundant in the spiritual fruit that only comes from abiding in Christ? Let love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control be the evidence of a life transformed by the abiding Presence of God.

Jesus said, “Follow Me.”

Follow God. Walk with God. As you do that, He will continually transform you more and more into the image and likeness of Christ. People will see it. People will recognize it. Your lifestyle will preach a better word than what the world has to offer. Follow Him and He will make you a fisher of men, women and children who want to know the way to eternal life and joy everlasting.

Blessings to you, my friends and co-workers in Christ. May God give you His passion for the lost, the broken, the hurting and the disenfranchised. May His holy fire burn bright in your temple of the Holy Spirit. Honor God with your bodies. Honor God with your life. He will not fail. Rest in Him. Amen.