Thursday the 15th

Proverbs 13:9

 9 The light of the righteous shines brightly,
       but the lamp of the wicked is snuffed out.

 

We have to let our light shine brightly, all of the time. It is a challenge, and that challenge is one of the biggest ones we face as Christians. It is always easy to let that light shine when you are at church, or at a bible study, however our best opportunity waits for us as soon as we step out of church. We are walking billboards for the Lord. If we go to church every Sunday, yet are flippant about our faith during the week, we show all of those around us that while we might talk a good talk, we must not believe what we say, for our actions do not back up our words. This is a huge hurdle to overcome. I can promise you this, you will never clear that hurdle if you do not jump! We all find comfort in our friendships, and sometimes we find it hard to let that light of Christ shine as brightly as we would like for fear of how it will be received. I would like to offer this point as something to think about the next time you feel like you need to subdue the light burning inside of you. We have put ourselves in a tight spot, you see once we make that life changing decision to follow Christ  we have to let that light shine, we cannot put it under a bowl, and hide it, it must be set out for the world to see. What happens when people see us hide our light? We slight God. We turn God into a punch line of sorts. Like the girl in the movie who the leading man will date, yet never goes around his friends with, nor takes the girl home to the parents.  He tells the girl he loves her, yet he is embarrassed to be seen with her. The Lord warrants much better! This is something that I struggled with for a long time. In the end what I found is that when you let that light shine, when you walk with Christ at your side….well the Lord takes care of  those relationships, in most cases those relationships that you were worried about actually improve. I know for me the people that knew me so well, are still in my life, they recognize that while I am different, it has been a change for the better. Don’t steal the chance from the Holy Spirit to work in someone’s life, let that light shine! Like any flame, if it is robbed of oxygen it will be snuffed out.

 

Peace,

Brian