If you find yourself out in the woods on a moonless night, one of the first things you'll start searching for is a source of light. Flashlight, headlamp, candle, torch, or even a Bic lighter would be a welcome find and obviously a benefit in the dark of the night. Hopefully, if you are a night walker, you head out prepared with a source of light in hand. A flashlight can illuminate a dark pathway, a candle brightens a dark room, and the light that shines from you can provide God’s light of hope to others that may feel trapped in a dark hopeless place.
"The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it." John 1:5. Light, in its literal sense, allows us to see in the darkest of settings. Light, in a more symbolic sense, can help others to see in times where life is dark and lonely. The important thing to remember here is that light can brighten a room to the point that the darkness disappears. Darkness, on the other hand, cannot decrease light. It should be an encouragement to understand that God's light of grace and love shining in us and through us can't be extinguished by any amount of darkness this world casts in our direction. Our responsibility is to let it shine!
Just as the children's song proclaims, "This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine", we choose to let God's light shine in our lives. Jesus charged his disciples to be more like a city on a hill rather than a candle under a basket. Once again, the goal of light is to brighten dark places and to share light with those who need His light. Who needs the light? "Whosoever believes in Him", would be a good place to start (John 3:16). So, I suppose the question is how do I allow my light to shine? Good question, with a great answer!
Isaiah 60:1 challenges us to “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you." Isaiah 60:1. If you have accepted God as your Heavenly Father then you have some good news to share. How you share the light of God's good news with the world you live in is your choice. Service to others, sacrifice of self for the benefit of someone else, giving of your time to help others, making the decision to forgive when the world tells you to get revenge, or loving others in the same way that God loves you are all ways you can be God's light to a darkened world. Waking up in the morning praising and worshiping rather than griping and complaining, stepping up instead of stepping to the side, and living out the life that God purposed you to live are high wattage light opportunities. In other words, live out a life that resembles the life Jesus modeled here on earth. You are to be God’s light to this world, let it shine!
Coach Carter
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