Are You Lighting Up the World?

Our white-bearded neighbor, lit up the edges of his five-acre parcel with Christmas tree lights. Every garden edge, gravel path, grass lining….lights.

It started a few years ago, when his wife died.

My husband asked, “Why? Why this year, when we have lived here a dozen years, and not once has our road, usually dark with trees, shined bright as it has recently?”

Our neighbor shared, in his loss and grief….In the aching and in His missing…

“It’s so ‘she’ can see us….See us from heaven.”

My heart ached when I heard the story. A passing wife, lost, after having more than a half dozen kids, struggling with oxygen…

Now remembered in the darkness by the carefully lighted paths of some lights, hoping to reach heaven.

Lights placed for his wife, so she will look down from above and see where her family still dwells.

What is it about light that draws the human heart? Sets Christians apart? Hooks even unbelievers to achknowledge its draw? 

And isn’t it us, who plow through the darkness, those who need a light that doesn’t dim out, after a hard year?

My daughter turned three a few days ago. Another turned four this week. We sang to them, carrying two candles into a bright room flooded with light.

You could hardly see those candles. In fact, those one little lights barely flickered as they sat underneath each of their faces.

But a few weeks ago, the power went out. It was suddenly dark. We were all panicked, digging for flashlights.

Still, why does darkness make us tremble? Fear, meet us in the blackness? Questions haunt us of strength and rob us from all inner resources?

The darkness, it will always test you.

In the nights of our lives, Gold rises to the surface and all things empty are burned away.

What is the first thing we all do when life gets dark? We run…run to find light.

We dive and dig, struggle and plow through all of our now useless possessions, in hopes to find a light to illuminate the darkness.

All darkness needs light.

And behold, we are each lights. He is Light, the Light of the World.

As Christians, we can coddle the light and fear the darkness, sit in warm houses, where it’s safe, heated to our liking?

And why is that? Does staying around light, passifies our conscious? Comfort our doubting souls?

Were we not made to “leave the camp”, go out into the dark world? Step out of our safe circumstances and tackle the darkness with His goodness…

Were we not meant to be set blaze with the power of His Love shining like light to the world?

And are we stagnant because we fear the darkness in us? Act passive, because we care more about our comfort than the redemption of the needy wandering?

Are we afraid to collide, collide with the shadows in us? Shadows of our very own fear and trepidation?

The world doesn’t need another excuse to cower down, hunker up, stay put….Especially in this season of panic and pandemic.

Hiding in such safety, as if we can control our shaking world. Our earth consists of both darkness and light.

God told me one time, “Never negotiate with evil”.

Sin always takes us farther than we think. Darkness doesn’t just lead us. It wants to fill us, like a gust of cold wind, seeking to extinguish our light.

My daughter has a reading light at night. Sometimes, she is scared of the dark. The light sat on the floor while she slept high upon a bunk bed.

The lamp shade covered the light. The light almost hindered, only created shadows.

But then, we placed th lamp high, on a white, wicker shelf, about five feet high, next to her bed.

She was delighted.

She discovered she could read and reach the light at night to shut it off, if she wanted. She had power over that light, and it invigorated her and equipped her…

Instead of creating shadows.

Better yet, the room was lit bright for all to see.

Every dark place, every shadow, became penetrated by piercing light. I explained to her, this light is like His light in you.

The same light that moves a seven-year-old little girl to pray on her knees, hands folded closed, for her missed baby sister….

He hears our prayers. He is near to hearts poured out to Him, humble and pure.

He is the Light that takes over the darkness, if we bow our heads and are humble enough to let Him…

My four-year-old came home from Preschool the other day, “This little light of mine….I’m going to let it shine.”

They taught her this same song I sang to many of my foster children.

She sang it with such boldness and enthusiasm. She wasn’t afraid of her voice, the light. It’s like somehow she knew, my neighbor knew, my seven-year-old daughter knew…

Light is stronger than darkness, life is stronger than death.

The same power that conquers the grave, is in me….It’s in you.

So, how will you let your light shine today? How will you race into the darkness and take back what is meant for victories sake, redemption waiting to pierce the darkness with light?

“He who plows, should plow in hope, and he who threshes in hope should be partakers of His hope.” (1 Cor. 8:10)

We are partakers of hope, not fear.

“The Lord commanded that those who preach the gospel should LIVE FROM the gospel”. (v.14)

We are not clanging symbols, but spotlights of His righteousness, fearlessly captivated by His goodness, born to pull down darkness and replace it with His light.

We are light-bearers, darkness-slayers, humble-servants, God-chosen children who need not fear the darkness any longer.

“Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!” (v.16) May this be our hearts cry today. May this be the engine of motivation as we give our lives away, serving Him.

Because neighbors are trying to reach heaven with artificial light. And if even non-believers can light up their land, seeking to reach heaven…

How much more should you or me, let our lights shine?