"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven." Matt. 5:16
If you spent any time in church at all during your childhood years, or perhaps even had a Christian grandmother or neighbor, it is very likely that you were taught the song, "This Little Light of Mine." It's sung with precious hand motions of each child holding up their sweet little pointer finger, which represents the light of Jesus. The verses say,
"This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine . . .",
"Hide it under a bushel, NO, I'm gonna let it shine . . . ",
"Don't let Satan blow it out, I'm gonna let it shine . . . ",
"Let it shine 'til Jesus comes, I'm gonna let it shine . . . ".
When children are singing that song, they can't possibly fully understand the depth of the analogy of the shining light. They are wise enough to realize that their finger isn't really a light, but it's not until some years later that they realize that their whole life is meant to be a light for Jesus.
I don't know about you, but I have come in contact with a lot of Christians whose lights vary in terms of kilowatts, if you know what I mean! I have unfortunately met some who barely cast any light to the point that if you were to need them during a dark time, they would be of little help to you. On the other hand, I've met some whose lights are burning so bright that it is offensive to the normal person. They practically blind everyone they come in contact with. Thankfully, God has placed many Christians in my life who shine the perfect amount of light in whatever situation or setting they are in. They're not too dim, not too bright, but rather, they are just right!
It's almost like the story of "Goldilocks and the Three Bears". As Goldilocks was pillaging through the home of the three bears, she was looking for the perfect temperature of her porridge, the ideal chair for someone her size, and the bed that wasn't too soft or too hard, but rather, just right.
So, in terms of the light we reflect for Jesus, are we reflecting enough light? When we're not reflecting a sufficient amount of light for Christ, it's possible that people that we come in contact with everyday don't even know that we're Christians. Whether it be at work, or the ball field, or possibly in our very own homes, have the people who are around you experienced the benefits of your light by the warmth you give off and the way you're able to provide guidance in times of darkness?
Or perhaps, is your light too bright? That might sound strange and you're probably thinking that no one would ever be able to be too bright of a light for Christ. Think about it this way. If you've ever been in near total darkness for an extended period of time, whether it be a movie theater or a cave, if the first light you see following that period of darkness is the blazing rays of the sun, then you are going to feel practically blinded. Your first response will be to cover your eyes and to turn away from it.
Now think about the non-believer who has lived in total darkness for the entirety of their life. If we come at them with Bible in hand, spouting every Scripture that we've ever memorized in Bible School, and try to tell them that they need what we have, they are likely to cover their eyes and run as fast as they can! Just as too much literal light can be offensive to our eyes, casting too much light for Christ whenever we're around people who've never been exposed to His Light can also be offensive, and essentially do more harm than good.
Finding that perfect balance of just the right amount of light is what we should all be striving for. If we're reflecting Christ to the people we come in contact with in a way that draws people to Him, our God is going to be glorified in that. I pray that our lives never push people farther away from Christ.
Let's all strive for to have Goldilock's mindset . . . not too much, not too little, but just the right amount of light in our very dark world.
If you spent any time in church at all during your childhood years, or perhaps even had a Christian grandmother or neighbor, it is very likely that you were taught the song, "This Little Light of Mine." It's sung with precious hand motions of each child holding up their sweet little pointer finger, which represents the light of Jesus. The verses say,
"This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine . . .",
"Hide it under a bushel, NO, I'm gonna let it shine . . . ",
"Don't let Satan blow it out, I'm gonna let it shine . . . ",
"Let it shine 'til Jesus comes, I'm gonna let it shine . . . ".
When children are singing that song, they can't possibly fully understand the depth of the analogy of the shining light. They are wise enough to realize that their finger isn't really a light, but it's not until some years later that they realize that their whole life is meant to be a light for Jesus.
I don't know about you, but I have come in contact with a lot of Christians whose lights vary in terms of kilowatts, if you know what I mean! I have unfortunately met some who barely cast any light to the point that if you were to need them during a dark time, they would be of little help to you. On the other hand, I've met some whose lights are burning so bright that it is offensive to the normal person. They practically blind everyone they come in contact with. Thankfully, God has placed many Christians in my life who shine the perfect amount of light in whatever situation or setting they are in. They're not too dim, not too bright, but rather, they are just right!
It's almost like the story of "Goldilocks and the Three Bears". As Goldilocks was pillaging through the home of the three bears, she was looking for the perfect temperature of her porridge, the ideal chair for someone her size, and the bed that wasn't too soft or too hard, but rather, just right.
So, in terms of the light we reflect for Jesus, are we reflecting enough light? When we're not reflecting a sufficient amount of light for Christ, it's possible that people that we come in contact with everyday don't even know that we're Christians. Whether it be at work, or the ball field, or possibly in our very own homes, have the people who are around you experienced the benefits of your light by the warmth you give off and the way you're able to provide guidance in times of darkness?
Or perhaps, is your light too bright? That might sound strange and you're probably thinking that no one would ever be able to be too bright of a light for Christ. Think about it this way. If you've ever been in near total darkness for an extended period of time, whether it be a movie theater or a cave, if the first light you see following that period of darkness is the blazing rays of the sun, then you are going to feel practically blinded. Your first response will be to cover your eyes and to turn away from it.
Now think about the non-believer who has lived in total darkness for the entirety of their life. If we come at them with Bible in hand, spouting every Scripture that we've ever memorized in Bible School, and try to tell them that they need what we have, they are likely to cover their eyes and run as fast as they can! Just as too much literal light can be offensive to our eyes, casting too much light for Christ whenever we're around people who've never been exposed to His Light can also be offensive, and essentially do more harm than good.
Finding that perfect balance of just the right amount of light is what we should all be striving for. If we're reflecting Christ to the people we come in contact with in a way that draws people to Him, our God is going to be glorified in that. I pray that our lives never push people farther away from Christ.
Let's all strive for to have Goldilock's mindset . . . not too much, not too little, but just the right amount of light in our very dark world.
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