Are You Lit?

Matthew 5:14
“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden;

John 1:9
There was the true Light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man.

John 8:12
[ Jesus Is the Light of the World ] Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, “ I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.”

John 12:46
I have come as Light into the world, so that everyone who believes in Me will not remain in darkness.

It is evidently clear to me to be the Light in this darkened world is something worthy since in searching for a verse for this blog, I found several.  When we choose to accept the Light into our hearts, Jesus begins to take over and it is His Light which others see in us.  As we daily die to the ourselves and rid us of a fleshly existence, more of this Light can be seen.  In the distance we can see Jesus.  In the friends we have we can Jesus.  At church we see Jesus, but I challenge you wherever you go today, look to see the Light in others.  After this little experiment then examine your own life, how bright is the Light in you?

So many Christians, just like me, accept Christ at an early age.  I was six and fully aware of my surroundings.  I can remember that day like it was yesterday.  The rapid heart beat, the sudden over-whelming feeling of love, the smile which took weeks to erase from my lips and the unmistakeable knowledge I was fully accepted.  It filled me with joy and I started seeking God where ever I could.  Then life hit me.  Temptations.  Peer pressure.  Bad choices.  Worldly behaviors.  Pulled away from church.  Lost my way and soon, even though I had Jesus in my heart, my Light went out.  I was no longer reaching out to others because I was so focused on my own needs and the woes I had created for my life.  How many of us have been there or are standing in that darkness right now?

We have these “colorful” stories for our lives, but where is Jesus?  Whom did we share the story with lately?  When was the last time you looked for God first thing in the morning or prayed over a meal in public?  Have been ashamed of God?  Ever been embarrassed to claim yourself as a follower?  Been there.  Done that.  Never want to return to such living.  In the heat of my valley walk during my marriage, I left God out completely.  I knew He was there for me and I cried out to Him when things were desperate, however I was not living a life worthy of even carrying the Light.  How did I get so misguided?  What happened to me?  Life.  The world.  Distractions. Unbelief.  I could go on but no use since we all know where we stand and how we got there.  At some point I finally decided God was the only real answer to this life.  I soon began to get back to church and slowly began to separate myself from the world.  Not easy.  I feel now like my Light is shinning again and I am trying daily to increase my relationship with God.  Yes I still stumble, but I know He will catch me when I fall, dress my wounds and heal me internally so that I can stand tall again and shine my Light.

We all need to relight our walk.  We need a renewal of the oil that God fills us with.  We need to say no to the world and seek God for everything.  Everything belongs to God, money, our families, our homes, our car, our environment and just EVERYTHING!  Once we get a hold of this concept we begin to see it is our privilege to shine our Light for we begin to truly understand that we are the ones who lead others into the Light and free them from bondage and darkness.  I try daily to write something for God because I know He is using me to speak to His people.  It takes one act of throwing your hands up in surrender for God to begin to use you.  Will you do this right now?  He has been watching and waiting. He would take you from the world which harms you but He gave you a free will and so it needs to be your choice.  This is between you and God, however it affects everything around you.  You never know who will notice at work or school or the grocery store.  They will KNOW we are Christians…that’s in the Bible!

Let’s begin today to let our Light shine.  If you have not accepted Jesus yet, do so today, email me if you need help or Facebook me.  If you have fallen into the world and your Light has gone out, choose to go to God today and repent and get your Light re-lit.  Together we can become a Light on the hill drawing others ever so much closer to the things God has planned for their lives.  If we all begin to reignite our faith we will become one in Christ and our Lights can shine as one, creating a beacon of Light for others to see!