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What Does Being a Light in a Dark World Look Like?

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It Can be as Simple as a Candle Lit on a Dark Night

If you watch the news, follow social media, or talk to any other living person, it’s hard to not be overcome with the darkness in the world today. This foreboding feeling of darkness can be depressing. Darkness is nothing new, but there certainly seems to be a lot of it going on currently.

When things are darkest is when we need to let our light shine.

What does it mean to let your light shine?

If you’ve ever spent any time in or around a church you’ve probably heard about letting your light shine. This is a common topic throughout the Bible. I quickly counted over forty verses referring to light in the darkness.

In the beginning God said, “Let there be light.” (Genesis 1:3-5) God led the Israelites in the desert with a light. (Exodus 13:21-22)

It’s interesting how the whole light in the darkness example makes such perfect sense.

One of the examples of the impact light has on darkness is a candle in a dark place. The small flame on that little candle makes a huge difference in the dark. And then if you use the first candle to light another one, the two small flames are pushing the darkness back. The more we use our candle to light other candles the brighter things get.

We share our light by living our lives using God’s word as our blueprint.

The sharing of this light can come through holding a door open for someone, giving someone encouragement, being honest and supportive when people need direction, or serving others through how we act and live.

As we’ve been going through Acts, we’ve seen Saul be struck blind by a “Bright Light” and then he turned his life around and began sharing that light with others. In Acts 13:47 Paul shares that he was “placed here as a light…”

Let’s be a light in the darkness to those around us.

This light doesn’t have to be big. It can be a small flickering candle lighting other candles around us.

You Don’t Have to Be Lost

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How to Avoid Ending Up as Unclaimed Baggage

 

 

We’ve all experienced times when we felt lost, wondering what to do, unsure of a decision. We don’t have to stumble around in the dark, bumping into things.


There is an Unclaimed Baggage Center in Alabama where an average of 7,000 unclaimed airline items go every day. It amazes me that much luggage is unclaimed or lost. I understand things get lost, but if it was my luggage, you can be sure that I would be looking long and hard.


Most of us are familiar with the stories Jesus tells about the lost sheep and coin in Luke 15:1-10. Both tell about the importance of being found, the importance of finding, and the joy when the lost are found. We are one or the other, either the lost or the ones seeking the lost. God is looking for the lost and can use help.

 

Everyone can be found.


Many people choose not to be found; they prefer the darkness. Less is required of us if we’re unseen, in the shadows. Life is easier with the light turned off.


Hank Williams wrote the famous song “I Saw the Light” 1948. “Williams often sang his song as if he was a man facing the end, desperate to believe in a salvation that he didn’t think existed. Was he trying to convince himself of the reality of the Gospel?


He sang: “I wandered so aimless, life filled with sin; I wouldn’t ask my dear Savior in. Then Jesus came like a stranger in the night; Praise the Lord, I saw the light!” The chorus went, “I saw the light, I saw the light. No more darkness; no more night. Now I’m so happy no sorrow in sight. Praise the Lord, I saw the light!”


Near the end of his life he was doing a show in San Diego but stumbled drunk off stage after only two songs. His friend, country performer Minnie Pearl tried to sober him as they rode around town in the back seat of his Cadillac so he could do his second show. She got him to join her in singing “I Saw the Light” thinking it might help sober him, but after one verse, Hank put his head in his hands and said, “O Minnie, Minnie, I don’t see no light. There ain’t no light.”


“But there was light, only it seems Hank refused it.”


Don’t spend your life in a pile of unclaimed baggage in some dark corner somewhere.

 

Turn on the light.


If you can’t find the switch or don’t know how to turn it on, ask for help. There is someone out there who can help you.

 

 

We Are in The Land of The Dying

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On Our Way to The Land of The Living

Sunday was Easter, the ultimate victory story! In Luke 24:1-12 the women go to Jesus’ tomb and find the stone rolled back and no Jesus. They are worried and afraid. Then there were two men in shining clothes standing beside them. The men asked, “Why are you looking for a living person in this place for the dead? He is not here; he has risen from the dead.” The women remembered what Jesus had said and went away celebrating and shouting the resurrection message.

When the apostles heard their story, they didn’t believe them. Peter went to the tomb and found Jesus’ burial clothes and no body. He went away doubtful and concerned. He assumed the Romans had come and taken Jesus’ body. Jesus’ followers had been through some dark days, but Peter was ignoring the light that the women saw.

Darkness is overcome by the light; in the midst of our deepest darkness the SON will rise!

We can choose to be like Peter or the women. They both saw the same empty tomb. Peter went away discouraged and the women went away shouting and celebrating that first Easter morning.

The tomb is not a dark alley, but a thoroughfare to Christ.

Pastor Lee told a story about a soldier who lost his legs and was recovering in a hospital. As you can imagine he was depressed about his situation. He could see no reason to even be alive. What good would he be without legs.

After days of lying there wallowing in self-pity another patient came in, sat down and started playing a harmonica. He played for a while and then got up and left. This went on for several days, never saying anything, just playing the harmonica. Then one day he came in playing the harmonica and attempting tap dance. When he was finished the harmonica playing tap dancer told the soldier to smile and live. The soldier replied that this was easy for him to say that. He was walking and dancing. Then the harmonica player lifted his pant legs to reveal two artificial limbs. He said again, smile and live, it is the only way to thank Him for being alive.


The young soldier’s resurrection began that moment.

Just like the soldier and the harmonica player, we need to remember that there is nothing that we have gone through or ever will go through that Jesus hasn’t already been there and done that.

We need to smile, live and say THANK YOU!