"Therefore do not be partakers with them; for you were formerly darkness, but now you are light in the Lord; walk as children of Light..." Ephesians 5:7,8These verses were in our "bearing fruit" reading this morning. (For those of you who do not come to study, we are meditating on John 15 this fall in correspondence to our Luke study. We are spending some time this week in complimentary passages on fruit bearing.)
And they got me to thinking...
Okay, stop reading and go grab a flashlight.
Got it? Now, go somewhere where there are no windows (bathrooom, basement, closet), turn the lights off and close the door. It going to be pretty dark, but that's the point. Just stand in the darkness for about a minute until your eyes adjust.
This is you before Christ. You were darkness.
Now, turn on your flashlight. What can you see? Don't move it around but simply point it in one direction and make a mental list of everything you see. Is there still darkness in the room?
Okay, turn the flashlight off and stand another minute.
Now, turn the light switch on. Now what can you see? Everything, right?
Here's my point. There are a lot of lessons we can learn about light and dark from the Bible. There are verses that say "walk in the Light" and "we were in darkness." But these Ephesians verses say that we "were darkness" and now we "are light." There is a subtle difference, but an important one.
What kind of light are you? Are you a narrow beam that illuminates a small area, or do you fill a whole room when you enter it?
I want to be a light switch. I want people to be able to see when I walk in a room because I am a light source - someone who reveals truth because of my relationship with Jesus. But when I "hide it under a bushel", I limit my effect on the world.
That's got to stop. Jesus was definitely a light switch, as a matter of fact, He not only filled a room, but He's the Light of the world. Time to trade in the flashlight for better wiring, I guess.
Any ideas on how to be a brighter light?
Have a great day!
Here's another one for you, we are to be beacons of light, as in the lighthouses that line the shores of lakes & oceans to warn sailors of dangerous rocks or to guide ships into safe harbors. Our light needs to warn but also to guide others into the safe harbor of salvation that is eternal, thru the blood of Jesus.
ReplyDeleteMmmm...yes, I agree. Like that one...what makes the role hard is that men love darkness rather than light...
ReplyDeleteFor the light swith to work, the wiring needs to be there (salvation), and not have any shorts in it (obedience & desire to please God). It also needs to be connected to a bigger power source (the Holy Spirit and regular time in the Word). If the connection is damaged or broken (sin), repairs need to be made (repentence), and wires reconnected to the original source (put off/put on). Sometimes storms come and things fall down on the wires (trials & circumstances), power company workers (fellow believers) come alongside the wires with proper tools (God's Word) and special handling (admonishment, encouragement, edification) to help repair the lines and get the light working again.
ReplyDeleteLoved your analogy Laurie!
ReplyDeleteReally like that one Laurie, I think we can find God in just about any thing on earth, encluding light switches and flash lights.
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