Helpful Truth You Need to Shine the Light Within

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Jesus told His followers to shine the light within them…

 “You are the light of the world.”

“If then your whole body is full of light, having no part dark, the whole body will be full of light, as when the bright shining of a lamp gives you light.”

Matthew 5:14a and Luke 11:36 (NKJV)

I’ll be honest, I don’t always feel like shining.

But…

I noticed something when I reread these verses. Jesus didn’t tell His followers to be light; He said that they “ARE light.” He just told them to shine!

When you and I have the Spirit of the Lord within us, we have everything we need to shine the light of faith, hope, and love.

By God’s grace, shining is just representing the One who is the Light—our Lord and Savior, Jesus. He proclaimed…

“I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.”

John 8:12

Shining the Light is a blessing of God’s transforming power for those who KNOW, LOVE, and TRUST in Him through the Savior, Jesus.

Here’s a memory I’d like to share with you…

I greeted her as she walked into the store where I was working. She responded with an understated smile. Tall and beautiful with dark eyes and short curly brown hair, she wandered back to the sale section and began sorting through her size.

As I approached her, I noticed she seemed to be lost in her own faraway thoughts… that spilled into words as I asked if I could help her find anything special.

She said, “I’ve been focused on my career for more than 15 years. I love what I do, and thought it was my life–until I met ‘John’ and fell in love. I’m so blessed to be with such a wonderful man. We were married a little over a month ago, and this morning, I found out I’m going to have a baby.”

I congratulated her. And she added, “It’s all good and exciting, but I’m feeling quite overwhelmed. Everything is happening so fast. So many changes. I want children, I think, but I didn’t expect this so soon.”

There were a couple of things that made me think she was a follower of Jesus.

1. She used the word blessed.
2. And even with the “deer in the headlights” look on her face… her eyes sparkled.

I can’t remember what was said next, but we began sharing our faith. We talked about God’s plans and the way He can surprise us by taking our plans and turning them upside down. How He lifts us out of our comfort zone to draw us close and show us how much we need Him.

We talked for about 20 minutes while looking for a few cute tops she could wear as her figure began to change.

And then she was gone.

I will never forget that brief meeting, although it happened more than two decades ago.

• Not because it was the beginning of a lasting friendship – I never saw her again. I don’t ever remember her name.
• Not because it was profound or all that unique.
• Not because the words spoken had a major impact on my life.

I will never forget the light shining in her eyes.

Overwhelming circumstances of any kind, good, bad, or everyday normal, can dull our sparkle if we let them. If shining were up to me, I believe I’d fail to shine far too often.

Paul, who wrote of being shipwrecked, beaten, stoned, and imprisoned, credited the Spirit for his peace, joy, hope, and power…

I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in Him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Romans 15:13

He wrote that God promised to give us His all-sufficient grace no matter how overwhelmed we feel or how His perfect plans differ from our own. He lights our way and makes it possible for us to shine the Light of His Love.

Jesus, the Light of the World, shines in those who KNOW, LOVE, and TRUST Him.

Let’s pray…

A Prayer to Shine the Light of the Lord

Father God, thank you for Jesus, who was, is, and forever will be the Light of the World. Please forgive us. Sometimes our “religions” have portrayed Him as serious and stern. But He personally showed us the Light of Your Love.

I often imagine the joy that sparkled in His eyes. I believe He shared contagious laughter through a warm and welcoming personality.

How easily we act like the Pharisees, living as if our attempts at obedience give us an earned righteousness. Oh, Father, forgive us. Transform us.

By Your grace and the power of Your Spirit, make me humbly aware that Your work in my life is something I could never accomplish on my own. Help me focus on Jesus, the One who initiates and perfects our faith. He is the source of our joy and the Light within us.

Please help me remember that when I’m self-absorbed and worried, I’m miserable. I’m sad inside and unpleasant to be around. But when I remember that I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, I can shine Your light and invite others to shine, too.

Please help me, Lord. Not for me, but for Your glory. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Paul wrote…

For God, who said, “Let there be light in the darkness,” has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ.

We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves.

2 Corinthians 4:6–7

We are fragile, and sometimes we crack, but even cracked jars can shine with the treasure of the Light within them.

So, when you and I are overwhelmed, anxious, or struggling with a broken heart, God’s Spirit will give us what we need to shine the light of His love. Because if the Lord tells us to do something, He promises to accomplish it when we surrender our hearts and minds to Him.

Remember…

God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others.

2 Corinthians 9:8

Let’s take a moment to identify the things the enemy is using to keep us from shining the light of God’s love. Then… Give them to God. Go to His Word. Trust His promises. And pray with persistence.

I believe God will give us everything we need to shine the light of His love for His glory.

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