"In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven." Matthew 5:16
Man do I love Christmas! I love watching my kids open presents. I love food and parties and music! I love decorations. I love the lights! Shining, flashing, attractive, different colors and shapes and sizes. I think Christmas has to be the most illuminated time of the year. You get your house all decorated, and if your house is like ours, you don't need that table lamp from the week before Thanksgiving until the 3rd week of January! Streets full of houses that are dim and dark all year suddenly pop with row upon row of brilliant lights. We bought like 600' of lights for the tree we set up in downtown Byron! I love the lights!
Then I got to thinking, read that, the Spirit started talking. This is precisely what we are supposed to be! Lights in the world. Jesus says it here in Matthew. Paul says it in Philippians. John talks about light shining in the darkness and walking in the light. We are supposed to be that house covered in lights that all of a sudden, in a dark and evil world, causes someone to stop and think, "There must still be something good out there."
We didn't put that tree up so we could say we did something cool or draw attention to ourselves, which did both happen, but that's not why. We did it so that I could stand on that corner talking to a guy, who needs the Lord. A guy who, if we hadn't let our light shine before men, might not have been interested in talking at all. There was no profession of faith or prayer over life's difficult circumstances. Just two guys talking about there still being good in the world as we looked at a Christmas Tree. A Christmas Tree covered in lights and giving a sense of, "Yeah, there's still something good out there."
This is why we put so much effort into this season of the year. This is precisely why we are involved in the things we are involved in this month! To let our light shine so that our friends and neighbors will see it and may give glory to God because of it! I'm praying for that guy. that he sees The Light, and that he understands it and responds to it. I'm praying for your "guy" too. That whoever they are, they may see your good deeds as you live out your life following Christ and give glory to our Father who is in heaven.
Grace & Peace,
John
(You can reach Pastor John at jwhite@thevillagemi.com)