Skip to main content

Light of the World?

              “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden;  nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.  Your light must shine before people in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.  (Matthew 5:14-16)

 

                I must smile. We’ve been considering fear for the past several days, and today’s passage-of-the-day included these verses. At the moment, I can’t think of much that is more frightening than what is said above. Granted, the passage isn’t written specifically to any one person, but to every one person, but the issue doesn’t change. I? I am the light of the world? Someone is going to see things by the light that I provide? It’s not all on me, but, it’s all on me? The pronoun in the last several questions could easily be changed to you, he, she, we, or them.

                It’s at this point that the people represented by all of those pronouns are likely to start backing away and making excuses. Some may smile and congratulate God on having finally noticed, but most of us will whine that our light is too dim, too weak, too unsteady. The moment we are proclaimed to be light, we see ourselves as darkness. “I’m not good enough” may not come from our mouths, but it screams from every neuron.

                Recently, I seem to be noting how “everyone else” is doing so much better than I am. My light is pathetic. Other people build lives. Other people have careers, relationships, money, power. Other people’s books sell. Other people are loved or admired and when they speak, people listen. Other people this…other people that…whine.

                Psychology and modernism tell us that we are wrong, that we must battle against the lie that we are not good enough. It’s part of our spiritual warfare. They’re right and wrong. It’s the same issue as with fear. The truth is, we are not good enough. But the issue is whether our lack turns us toward God, or away from Him. As I think about it, I would far rather be “not good enough” and have God work through me without my notice than to hold my head high as “the light of the world” and be useless to Him.

                

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The List

              Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,   through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance;   perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. (Romans 5:1-5)           Think about it. We have been justified. At least, we could be justified if we stopped insisting that our justification be based on our merits. We have peace with God, or could have peace if we stopped throwing temper tantrums. We have gained access into grace i...
Post a Comment
Read more

Listen!

  While he was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!” (Matthew 17:5)            Do you like roller coasters? I don't. You spend forever climbing a hill. You get to the top and have half a second, then you race down to a low point. Sometimes the racing down involves tying your insides into knots. At the bottom, you either have to be dragged up another hill or you get off the ride. Peter's life was a roller coaster from the time he met Jesus. There would be miracles, and then Jesus would teach things that didn't always make sense, and then they'd go out and perform miracles, and return to be taught. Peter was praised for giving the right answer to "Who do you say that I am?" Jesus said that said answer came from God. Peter was at the top of the hill.            ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Prayer Lists

                 Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good. (I Peter 2:2-3)   In connection with what I wrote yesterday about the possibility that I’m wrong, I’m feeling the need to go back to basics - craving spiritual milk because somehow, I missed something. It’s a little embarrassing, craving milk like a newborn, but the truth probably is that we are newborns many times in many ways in our lives. From God’s perspective, we may never be anything more than newborns, forever needing that milk. On the other hand, being a newborn can also be exciting because so much is new. My mind is playing pinball - ricocheting from one idea to the next and through six more before it happens to hit the third again. The main topic is prayer. I have at least seven organizing structures all somewhat influenced by the movie War Room , which I’v...
Post a Comment
Read more