Shine That Light

Shine That Light

10/19/11

We have all heard the song “This Little Light of Mine” And we have all understood its meaning and the mission that it states.  We in the modern world also understand that electric light has brought new advances to our lives and has extended almost every aspect of life itself.  From personal experiences it is well known that light gives us knowledge of our surroundings that will help us finish what we are doing or help us find our way.  This is the traditional form of light that we as humans recognize.  But let us look at things from another point of view, the light that shines from us and how it affects others and helps them along their path.  Other people can benefit from the light that shines from our lives.  It may not be on a visual plane or something we will see immediately but in some way our light will provide the necessary means for others to recognize the true light source.

Light totally transforms our immediate surroundings and provides a guide for us when we are lost.  A question comes to my mind about movies.  Any of you ever watch a horror movie? while I have not watched many of them in my life I did notice a couple of things about their content.  The majority of the “horror” that occurs in the film happens at night or in the dark.  Or the victims are hiding in a dark place.  Even though there are day scenes in these movies, some type of physical surroundings of the characters is affected to the point where light has been diminished in some way.  These scenes are created for a reason and so why wouldn’t our enemy use this same tactic when frightening our lives?

Let us take the dark in two aspects.  First, things that go bump in the night.  When we are children most of us had problems going to sleep at some time, which when this happened our parents would look under the bed for monsters, turn on all the lights and open the closets, close all windows and secure the curtains, and whatever else it took to calm the nerves of their child.  This comfort that our parents or guardians provided gave us kids a sense of security that would allow us to relax and to fall asleep.  Why would our parents do this for us?  Because they already knew that no harmful thing was present for us to worry about but it was their pleasure to provide that extra security blanket for us kids. 

Secondly let us look at, and more importantly, what our light provides for others.  As you drive a car at night you rely on the headlights and taillights to guide you through the path that we are rolling down.  But our lights also allow others to see what is ahead of them or behind them as they approach us.  Just the same, the oncoming traffic’s lights provide us with a guide or warning of our surroundings.  So, what if a light is out, or a vital component of our lives is not performing up to its full potential?  Everyone’s safety is compromised.

Another short take on light is how we humans like to hide in the dark for protection.  This fact is one area of the human that fascinates me; how someone can use a frightful surrounding condition to seek shelter in time of need.  Now, when hurricanes or major storms approach, this situation is probably in the best of everyone’s interests, but just that concept alone serves as a double standard. 

Thomas Edison invented the light bulb; he did it for others to see things when the darkness overtakes the world.  Edison knew that the dark would come every day and that it would last for a certain period of time.  Edison had the idea that if something could shine through the darkness, then man could not be afraid to press forward during these times of disadvantage.

Last physical example for this message is a lighthouse.  This type of light serves strictly as a warning and to allow ships and planes to understand exactly where they are located and how close to danger they really are and in some situations to provide aide to rescuing parties. 

We as humans have an inner light that is born into our lives.  It is a device that is always on but we often forget that our light is shining to others.  This light operates as long as our lives are present on this earth.  This light is all knowing about our lives and it hides nothing.  It does not matter what direction you are facing, nor does it matter what time of the day it is, and then you also must remember that this inner light is no respecter of persons, even your friends can recognize this light.  Sounds like a powerful instrument huh.  God has placed this light into every person that draws breath and that light shines no matter what side of the proverbial fence you are on.

So, which direction is your light shining?  Is your light shining brightly and displaying a clear path for you, your family and others to see?  The light you share may one day provide another person’s light to burn brightly when it is needed or it provide a hindrance or delayed reaction in another’s eyes.  You never know the true effect you have on a person until times and circumstances become trials. 

Ok, let’s put this darkness and light into kingdom terms…I know you were waiting for this J. When our light shines into the darkness, the kingdom of Satan is exposed to everyone.  Darkness is not only experienced with the physical eyes, it also affects our spiritual eyes as well.  It is possible for our physical eyes to see clearly but our spiritual eyes to be blinded by the surrounding darkness.  Jesus’ light not only allows us to see things in the physical but also like a beacon allows our spiritual eyes to communicate the actions of Satan’s Kingdom to us.  Therefore, as we are aware of these acts our light automatically shines this information to others.  We may not totally understand everything that is transmitted through our light, but someone or some group will understand it and then in turn will also transmit that information to others.

Now, the opposite must be true if Jesus is not the light source of our inner light.  Remember, there are only two kingdoms that are represented in the spiritual world and if one light is not shining, then the other must be.  Let me put it another way, if our light is not shining for the advancement of God’s Kingdom, then it has no option but to shine for Satan’s Kingdom.

Jesus is a light, He is THE light and He serves as THE guide and THE warning.  If He is allowed to infiltrate our lives and compliment our light, then everyone around will notice the difference and will benefit from the true source of light.  His Kingdom will dominate every circumstance and will allow everyone within seeing distance to know that His kingdom is in control.  I can guarantee you that if people are allowed to see the truth about their immediate surroundings they will change their course, in some way, to avoid problems no matter how small they may pose.

It is of utmost importance to recognize the light that shines from us, so that we are not projecting the wrong light to the world.  What is your light bulb doing?  Is your light bulb dirty or clouded in any way?  For us to know the complete function of this light we must constantly allow God to examine our light and to show us His results.  If He finds a speck that is causing problems, then He will reveal it to us and it is our responsibility, along with His help, to remove that speck so that our light may correctly shine completely once again.

Jesus said that He is the light of the world, how is your bulb doing?