“You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.” Matthew 5:14-16
Earlier this week, I was emotionally ‘lost.’ I received some distressing news regarding an incident at my daughter’s school, and it left me at a loss for words. There was a wide range of emotions that I felt unsure which was the correct one. Ultimately, it got to a point where I just had to fall on my knees and pray to God. “Why was this happening,” I asked. How could I see Him amidst all that was going on? There were lots of questions, and yet, I had no answers. Ultimately, I just started walking forward trusting in Him, and with each step, I felt God was with me. With each word I spoke and direction I went, His spirit dwelled in me, and where there was once doubt, a renewed confidence replaced it such that those nearest to me felt the same things. It was as if He guided me forward, and through His light, it showed His light to those around me.
When we have accepted Jesus Christ as Lord of our life, He provides us with guidance to walk where others will see Him through us. In today’s verses, Jesus speaks of those who follow Him as the light. Some might jump to a conclusion asking, “How can I be the light when Jesus is the light of the world?” They are of course referring to John 8:12a, and would only have gotten half of the story referring to Jesus being the pathway to eternal life. However, once we were given the gift of grace through Him, we too were given a ‘light.’ This is not only referred to by Jesus here but also in the beginning of Acts saying, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (1:8) The importance of this is very simple. We are given direct power through the Holy Spirit to not only connect to Christ but also be His representative in the world. Thus if we trust in Him, our steps are guided by Jesus Christ himself, and those who know Him will see it through our actions, words, and deeds. This is the light Jesus speaks of, and we should feel empowered filled with the confidence knowing He is with us every step of the way.
God gives us authority to act on His behalf. This does not mean we substitute ourselves for Him (i.e. being His equal, judging others, taking out vengeance, etc.), but instead, we are to be living examples of Him. The Apostle Paul said, “For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light!” (Ephesians 5:8) Thus, let us take this light given to us and let it shine for all those near and dear to us to see. What is God prompting you to act on? How can you trust God more to walk by faith? My prayer is that we trust God to be our guiding light for others to follow that same light. Amenl
No comments:
Post a Comment