Being the Light of the World!!

by | Jan 10, 2015 | Empowerment & Encouragement | 0 comments

be-the-light-of-the-world

Not sure about you, but lately I’ve been reminded of a lot of the DARKNESS that surrounds us in the world today.  Terror attacks, meaningless murders, natural disasters, planes falling from the sky; the list goes on and on.

It’s easy to feel a sense of hopelessness and discouragement; to feel uneasy, anxious and unsure about what tomorrow brings.  I recently heard a mentor of mine say that she tends to listen to JUST enough of the news to catch relevant info and turns it off to avoid hearing about all the unpleasant things going on in our city.  I was a little surprised, but then I thoughts, well I know I usually feel pretty down after watching many news programs, so I guess that’s her way of taking care of herself; avoiding hearing about the bad stuff.

Well regardless of how people manage their fear, anxieties, and frustrations one thing I was reminded about today is that I am the ‘light of the world’.

Matthew 5:14-16 (NIV)

14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven          

It’s a beautiful illustration isn’t it? We’ve all had the experience of being in the dark, feeling disoriented, confused and perhaps a little afraid, and THEN a light comes on.  It could be the light of a candle, a very small flame, or the light from a flashlight and WHAT a difference it makes.  We are able to see clearly the things that once caused fear and confusion.  The effect of a light, even just a little is powerful and world changing.

Well that’s what we are called to be, world changers one light at a time 🙂 Instead of focusing on the things that are out of our control (most of the terrible things going on in the world) we should focus on ensuring that we are allowing our light to shine in the darkness that is all around us.

I often say that I want to leave a positive ‘taste’ in the mouth of the people who’ve interacted with me (figuratively speaking).  I am very intentional in my interactions with others. I try to focus on being pleasant, positive and encouraging whether spending a few moments, or having extended time with someone.  Over the years I’ve heard the saying ‘it’s nice to be nice’, and this is true, but don’t just be nice to be ‘nice’, be nice because your being a light.

CBM

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