We are living in a time where the "next big thing" is created about once a week. Over the last 100 years the world has changed from horse-drawn carriages to gas/electric cars. From 3-4 day train rides, we now fly non-stop from New York to LA in less than a day. We no longer have to wait 2-3 weeks for a letter from our grandparents, or for the college student: a letter about how we're doing to reach our parents, we have e-mail, instant messaging programs, even video call capabilities.
Take a moment and think of how easily it is to take for granted all the luxuries we have, not only because we are living in the United States, but because of how we feel we may have been gypped this year for Christmas. Or from the way I was feeling this week, rather lonely and sad because we have no special someone to spend these joyous times with.
When we feel like this it is essential that we put into perspective how we are feeling about ourselves in these times. I was feeling lonely: what about a good friend, she recently married a Marine (another friend of mine) who is getting ready to go overseas to join the struggle in Iraq. She had not seen her husband for months while he was training and getting briefed on the situation.
Now that got me thinking about the even bigger picture: There are how many THOUSANDS of incomplete families this holiday season. Baby girls who have maybe never seen their father's face. Young boys who wanted, more than anything else, to sit on his mom's lap while opening his gifts. So, why do we allow ourselves to slip into these dark feelings of depressions and self-pity when there are so many more out there who have it worse than us?
These feelings happen because we're human. That's all there is to it. They're going to happen every now and then. What defines us is what we do in those times of need. Do we just let the darkness slip over us until we are so lethargic that we just lay in bed all day? Or maybe today we're going to go out and drink all of our sorrows away. How about sleeping with so many people that you lose count to try and give yourself a feeling of self-worth? None of these solutions is a long-term fix. All of these aren't even short term fixes. Instead of fixing our initial problem, we just compile issue after issue that we, ourselves, got into by our own doing. How does the darkness over come so many? Why do the masses think that by running in darkness they can find light, or that maybe their eyes will adjust.
The God of the universe has given us the Light we need. The Light is explained to us, in black and white, by Christ in John 8:12 - "When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, 'I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.' " When we were younger, if you grew up in a church, we would sing the song "This Little Light of Mine." As children singing a fun little diddy, we didn't really think of how in depth the song really is.
The lyrics go as follows:
This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine
This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine
This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine
Let it shine, Let it shine, Let it shine.
Hide it under a bushel? No!
I'm gonna let it shine
Hide it under a bushel? No!
I'm gonna let it shine
Hide it under a bushel? No!
I'm gonna let it shine
Let it shine, Let it shine, Let it shine.
This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine
This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine
This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine
Let it shine, Let it shine, Let it shine.
Don't let Satan blow it out,
I'm gonna let it shine
Don't let Satan blow it out,
I'm gonna let it shine
Don't let Satan blow it out,
I'm gonna let it shine
Let it shine, Let it shine, Let it shine.
Every line of this song says that we are going to let the light of Christ that came into our lives when we accepted Him as our Lord and Savior shine as brightly as we possibly could. Of course.. Teaching this song to kids is mainly just a cute way to have kids sing about Jesus without letting them think too intimately about the lyrics. Similar to the way most Christian children were raised on the story of Noah and the Flood. We seemed to have our attention diverted away from the big message in the story of Noah; God's people became so unfaithful that He created a flood so large that every person on earth, with the exception of Noah and his family, drowned. Our God of mercy is also an envious God who will shed His wrath when necessary.
This is why we needed a Savior. To prevent another flood-like apocalypse without a chance for redemption. This is the biggest reason why we need the light of Christ to shine through our lives more and more as we become more distracted by technology and lose sight of what our lives should be like. "Unless you people see miraculous signs and wonders," Jesus told him, "you will never believe." (John 4:48) And we have become, very much so, a church/society that does not believe, so much as is traditionalized into the church. Being a Christian now seems more like being a Cubs fan: you were just born into it. "Yeah, I root for God's team because my dad and his dad have been rooting for God for about 200 years now."
"This Little Light of Mine" is just one of hundreds of songs talking about how we need to shine the Light of Christ in our lives. We should not have our Light contained in one of those old fashioned oil lanterns with the wick so low that there is barely any light to be had. Remember: "you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light." (1 Peter 2:9)
The Bible hundreds of verses talking about how we are a light unto the world. If we are not sharing our light with those who truly need it, how different from them are we, truly?
Please, if you've accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior and know that there is someone in your life who needs a little light in their lives go over and shine yours at them and show them the love and warmth that Christ showed all who came, saw and believed in him. Remember: we once were blind, but now we see.
I leave you with more verses and a video made for a Chris Rice song called "Go Light Your World." The lyrics will be posted below the video.
- Job 18:5-7 - "The lamp of the wicked is snuffed out; the flame of his fire stops burning. The light in his tent becomes dark; the lamp beside him goes out. The vigor of his step is weakened; his own schemes throw him down."
- Matthew 5:14-16 - "You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven."
- Matt. 6:22 - "The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light."
- Matt. 22:13 - "Then the king told the attendants, 'Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth"
- John 1:9 - "The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world"
- John 3:18-20 - "Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son. This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed."
- John 12:35 - "Then Jesus told them, 'You are going to have the light just a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, before darkness overtakes you. The man who walks in the dark does not know where he is going.'"
- Ephesians 5:8-11 - "For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord. Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them."
- 1 John 1:5-7 - "This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin."
- 2 Corinthians 4:4 - "The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God."
- 2 Peter 1:19 - "And we have the word of the prophets made more certain, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts."
- 2 Cor. 6:14 - "Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?"
- Isiah 58:10 - "and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the midday."
Lyrics:
There is a candle in every soul
Some brightly burning, some dark and cold
There is a Spirit who brings a fire
Ignites a candle and makes His home
So carry your candle, run to the darkness
Seek out the helpless, confused and torn
Hold out your candle for all to see it
Take your candle, and go light your world
Take your candle, and go light your world
Frustrated brother, see how he's tried to
Light his own candle some other way
See now your sister, she's been robbed and lied to
Still holds a candle without a flame
So Carry your candle, run to the darkness
Seek out the lonely, the tired and worn
Hold out your candle for all to see it
Take your candle, and go light your world
Take your candle, and go light your world
Cause We are a family whose hearts are blazing
So let's raise our candles and light up the sky
Praying to our Father, in the name of Jesus
Make us a beacon in darkest times
So Carry your candle, run to the darkness
Seek out the helpless, deceived and poor
Hold out your candle for all to see it
Take your candle, and go light your world
Carry your candle, run to the darkness
Seek out the hepeless, confused and torn
Hold out your candle for all to see it
Take your candle, and go light your world
Take your candle, and go light your world
Take your candle, and go light your world
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