Sitting in a room filled with people, the conversation drifted into idle talk about the awful government we have, how things are going from bad to worse, how young people today just don’t have a chance in a world like that, prices for gas and groceries are just out of sight, rioting on college campuses, surely Christ is returning in the next few days and months. The year was 1962. Sounds almost identical to some conversations I heard recently in a group of people that Jesus said are supposed to be the light of the world. I have been amazed at how one person can enter a room and fill it with doom and gloom in a moment’s time. Perhaps I have been more impressed when a room filled with doomsday talking people was suddenly transformed into light and hope by one man’s joyful walk and talk. It was as though we were all in a dark and dingy room when the Light of the world walked in, and suddenly we were immersed in sunshine…or should I have said Son Shine?
Luke 11:36 If your whole body is full of light and not darkness, it will be as bright as a lamp shining on you."
Does a room light up when we walk into it, or does it get darker?
Jesus said, “I am come that you might have life and have it more abundantly.” I don’t think about abundant living when listening to complaining and fearful thoughts about life. I think about lack and poverty and death. If it’s the goodness of God that leads people to repentance and if we are to be the light of the world…should not we who have the Light of the world living inside us be lighting candles rather than cursing the darkness? Is it possible that we don’t spend enough time letting God’s Word shine in our hearts? Jesus taught that “out of the abundance of the heart…our mouth speaks.” It’s not so important to watch what we say, as to what we take into our hearts by what we read and listen to and watch.
The Psalms teach us that the Bible is like a lamp shines on our path to let us see where we are going. It’s also helpful to others who are following closely behind us. I thank God for teachers who saw what was, rather than what wasn’t…who saw the glass half full instead of half empty…who proclaimed the “Good News” instead of proclaiming the bad news. May God help us to become candle lighters instead of being candle snuffers.
May we fulfill Jesus command for us to “let our lights shine” by the way we walk and talk. May the computers and rooms and communities and businesses we walk into be transformed as we stop cursing the darkness and begin lighting candles. Maybe we should light a candle and set it in the room today as a reminder to LIGHT A CANDLE where ever we go.
Selah…
Al Yoder
2/6/2011
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