Lights Of This World

I am fascinated by the light you shine. I am inspired by your heart, the words you speak and the actions that you take. I am moved by the person that you are. I appreciate what you bring to this world. I love how you do everything you can to orient yourself toward God. You don’t need my applause, but I want to give it to you because I love you and I don’t think you know how much your presence in my life does for me.

–To Sojourner, Dakotah, & Gabrielle

I can’t tell you how important having a community of believers to fellowship with is. Especially on-fire believers; ones who are pursuing God with their whole hearts.

Community

I can hardly express how blessed I am in the friend department of my life. Even my friends who aren’t yet walking in faith are amazing, honestly (They don’t yet recognize they are image bearers and are carrying God’s light and purpose within them, but I know they are, and I’m praying that they will soon know too). My immediate community is small but rooted in God, and it’s expanding. All glory to Him—I have prayed for like-minded people who walk or want to walk the same path and He continuously answers!

Being a Christian is profoundly beautiful and intricate. It’s an amazing journey and I’m truly thankful to have been chosen by God to walk it. The demands and challenges that Christianity throws our way is like being put through fire, and it produces the kind of spiritual growth that can’t be found anywhere else. Trust me, I’ve searched long and hard for spiritual nourishment, and this path is the way. That’s why having people who get where we’re at in life is so important. We need friends we can lean on, share insights with, and find inspiration from when we’re feeling lost or tired in our walk. Ones we truly connect with and bear witness with in genuine friendship.

You know, as much as we might love our worldly friends, those who aren’t on the same spiritual path as us likely wont really understand what we’re going through. They may or may not be supportive of our mindsets and values, and without realizing it, they could steer us in directions that don’t resonate with where we are trying to go. So I think it’s important for us to be deeply entrenched in a faith community. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve ran to my friends to chat, get sound advice, or just bounce ideas concerning all things of the spirit. I think of my friends in faith as lights, that help brighten my path toward God.

How good and pleasant it is
    when God’s people live together in unity! Psalms 133:1

You Are A Light

Before diving into the main message of this post, I wanted to share my testimony about how the lights in my life impact me. So you know it’s real.

What I really want to do here is take the time to remind you of what God said about us. We are the light of the world, like a city on the hilltop that cannot be hidden. As lights in this world, we shine light on God’s truth. What I take this to mean is that we’re meant to bring even more glory to God, by using our lives and our mouths to illuminate His Word and His power. I think it’s a beautiful blessing and privilege to be used in that way.

You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. Matthew 5:14 NLT

You are a light in this world. Your influence reaches farther than you know, and your testimony is a light to someone else’s path. I urge you to share it boldly and proudly, because you never know how much someone else may need to hear it. The forces of darkness in this world—the loser enemy and his minions—are working day and night to dim our light! They want nothing more than for you to believe you’re not a light in this world. I know they’re seething right now as I point this out and help you see your worth more clearly. *sticks tongue out at the ground* They hope you’ll read this and forget it in five minutes. They want you to brush it off as just another something you’ve looked at today and they’re banking on you completely disregarding the fact that you’re meant to be here on this page, reading this post, right now at this very moment for a reason. They’re scrambling to keep you distracted from the truth: that you and your entire life are a guiding light.

If you’ve been walking with Jesus, this is a reminder and a big thank you. Remember that the light of Christ is in you– you’re literally a beacon. I hope you keep that at the forefront of your mind. And thank you for the paths you’ve illuminated, both knowingly and unknowingly, leading others closer to God. If you’re just starting to chat with Jesus and you’re still peeping the scene, think of this entire message as a gentle nudge, urging you to lean more toward God so that, like Moses, you may become more radiant after being in His presence. You are an image bearer of God. You carry influence and it is for God’s glory. You are a light on someones path.

In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:16 NIV

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A Prayer

Thank you Jesus for breathing life and light into us. The light you provide is all we need and I pray you use each and every one of us miniature lights to do your will. Protect and shield us from the enemy’s lies that undermine our image and steal our attention from what is true. Pull us deeper into you in spirit so we can live lives that honor you and radiate your light, guiding those in darkness toward you. Open our hearts, minds, and eyes to be lights in this world. Thank you, Jesus.

Amen