Lighten Up! – A Quote For Tuesday

“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.Matthew 5:14,16 NIV

Wow, what a day yesterday was!  So much going on in my life!  How about you?  Ever feel like “all at once” and wonder “how am I going to . . . ” fill in the blanks.  Some good, some “I can’t fix this” and some “Lord, what’s up with this?”

Know what?  He’s in it!  It sure is too heavy to carry . . . alone!  Hey, I wasn’t meant to do that!!!  Jesus wants me to lighten up!  Hey, in more ways than one!  I only need to carry my part and the heavier part is HIS – so I’m working hard on handing things over.  Guess what?  The more He and I work closely together, the lighter I feel!  Know what else?  His radiance reflects on me and through me onto those in darkness!

Isn’t that our purpose?  To reflect Him in all we do?  The good stuff is easy to smile about.  The things in life that are held together with DUCT TAPE?  NO problem!  We will be just fine – Jesus has it covered!  In all things, let your light shine, people!

Lead on, Lord!  I’m ready!

Martha’s Six Word Saturday

Hope

shining

brightly

inside

and

out!

 

 

 

One In Him

I know there is strength in the differences between us. I know there is comfort, where we overlap.

– Ani DiFranco –

The quote above speaks well of what we become and are enabled to do as one body in Christ and when we realize and appreciate that we have many gift but the same giver! It is time to realize that our differences are as He designed us and for a reason.  We must stop fighting against this and begin praising Him as one body!  Those in darkness need us to do our good work! 

Let Your Light Shine

If you use a search engine with the keywords “let your light shine” you will find 238,000 hits.  If you then search  “darkness” you’ll get a shocking 75,900,000 hits.  We, as Christians have much to do.  Those numbers  – so sad.  But, look at Matthew 5:16 and we have our commission!  Reminds me, too, of my days as a church school teacher.  I first taught 5th grader and I myself was just in the 9th or 10th grade at the time, but Mom was in charge and knew what I could do, so there I was.  Taught ’em the Ten Commandments.  It was priceless because as I tried to break them down to examples and dialog that they could understand and broaden things so they’d see there’s more to it than perhaps they thought, they’d then ask me if “when Mommy does this, isn’t that again this commandment?”  Later in another parish when I was in my twenties i taught the first and second grade and they were so adorable.  They were also drawn to the most “goolish” (is that a word?) parts.  Interesting comparison though.  The little kids – the 1st and 2nd graders – they had such strong faith.  Oh, yes they could be fresh and all but usually they were fighting to see who sat next to me as I “told stories” to them.  There was a pure faith so clear in them, but less evident in the 5th graders I’d taught before. 

 This ties into the “let ur light shine” as our commission as Christians.  We are born naked and we’re full of God and full of faith.  As we are “exposed” to the world, our nakedness becomes an embarrassment and our faith becomes weakened by the world and the fact that it’s impurities take away our trust.  It’s our job, as Christians, to enable folks to be in the world but to restore them to their earlier faith by reminding them that they are not OF this world.  That’s really all there is to it.  It really is rather simple.  Or, to state it another way, check out Isa 26:3  “You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You.” 

We make it harder than it is.  WE do.  It doesn’t have to be.