Shine On!

“You are the light of the world. A city on a hill canot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on a stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in Heaven.” Matthew 5:14-16

Wow. I’m a light…and I don’t even realize how many people’s paths I’ve been assigned to illuminate. Its such an awesome responsibility…to be a light. While I’m thankful that God has chosen me to bring His light to this dark and dying world, I’m also keenly aware of the fact that I have to really choose to shine some days.

Sometimes its tempting to just be “normal” and crab about all the stuff that has gone wrong…or, oh, the term “vent” (people love to use that one to hide the fact that they’re really just complaining). Sometimes I just want to vent. But when I give into that temptation, I realize I’m dishonoring God and my light, the one that is supposed to be helping others to see the Way, is very, very dim.

How can you speak of God’s love and then go around with a sour look on your face and complain about the life He has given you? Be it the kind of life you see as “good” or “bad,” its what God has given you and its your job to walk it out with the proper attitude. Who wants to be a Christian if we sound just as bad (or worse!) than the unsaved? What an attractive lifestyle we’re trying to encourage others to live!

And all that venting…what is it really? Usually, its nothing more than a display of fear or doubt in God’s ultimate goodness. There’s no room in this life for wallowing in self-pity. If you step outside yourself for just a moment and look around, I promise, you’ll see someone who is going through something worse than your current set of circumstances–and some are even going through it with a better attitude than yours.

Take just a few moments today and count your blessings. No, really…count them. Make a list. Look at the hundreds, thousands, and millions of ways that God has blessed you or He has your intervened on your behalf when you didn’t ask Him to and you didn’t deserve His Mercy. Take some time to thank God for the little things…like the color green and its many hues represented all throughout nature. Thank Him for your imperfections, so that you don’t get a higher opinion of yourself than you ought to. Thank Him for life’s trials, that they have not only helped you to grow, but they have shown you the inner strength that you had no idea you possessed until you had to tap into it.

The way you respond to pressure, the way you react to bad news, how quick you are to be offended and, more importantly, how quickly you forigive–these are are your defining moments. These are your opportunities to shine – or not. These moments are when people are watching you most closely. These are the true tests of our character. No, we’ll never be perfect…not on this side of Heaven, anyway…but we must constantly strive to live lives of integrity so that our light can been seen for miles and miles, like a lighthouse to a ship lost at sea in dense fog.

And, really, what’s with the pressure anyway? Ultimately, it is God Who is shining through us; its not our own light we shine, but His. We just need to allow ourselves to be used as His vessels to carry out the work that He needs us to do in the Earth. We need to keep our attitudes good and our hearts pure. Be a light to your family, to your friends, to complete strangers. Don’t hide your light under a bowl…don’t be ashamed of your Father so that, when the last days come, He won’t have to be ashamed of you. But boldy go out and choose to be the brightest darn lights you can be!