This little light of mine, I am gonna light it shine.
A few years ago I heard a saying which has always stuck with me… “You may be the only bible some people read.” What sort of feelings, thoughts or reactions do you have when you read that sentence? Do you find yourself shrinking back in regret? Clinching your fists, thinking you need to do better next time? Feeling pressure to be perfect? Do you feel like it is up to you to “convince” people to believe?
As we have been traveling through the study of the trinity, we have learned a lot about role and responsibility. God the Father is the initiator, calling people toward Himself. God uses the Spirit in us as one the primary ways the world sees what God truly is like. In other words, The Spirit within every believer is what shines through people and draws people towards Himself.
I don’t know about you but there are times where my light shines brighter than others. I mostly notice my “light” dimming when I don’t spend time with the true source of the light. I like to spend time with the Lord each morning, whether it is worshiping, reading scripture, journaling or praying. My day tends to be better if I give my first fruits to the Lord. It took me awhile to develop this routine, as there always seems to be other things trying to get my attention. Whether it is simply replying to emails, writing a birthday post for a friend which would then result in mindlessly scrolling on instagram, or seeing an advertisement in my inbox alerting me of sale at my favorite online store. I am sure you all can relate to the distractions we face each and every day. Spiritual disciplines are called disciplines for a good reason, you need to be intentional and protect that time because it can easily be taken away.
When I do prioritize time with the Lord, I see how God uses that time to mold me into His image. My rough edges tend to be smoother. I sense the importance to love others well and forgive even when I don’t “feel” like it. Scripture seems to be like a personal handwritten note addressed to me and it redirects me toward Him. In the middle of chaos, I receive peace that passes all understanding. I receive wisdom for decisions I need to make and Truth to replace the lies that I have believed.
We learned in this last lesson that “disciple” means learner. We are Christ’s disciples which means we are in a constant state of learning. If we are always learning, then the next important question would be …”Where and who is teaching you?” The word God uses to call each of us, disciple, is an invitation to spend time with Him. Jesus is not only a teacher, He is THE teacher. He is eager to draw, point, redirect, mold and love us in ways that allows us to reflect more of HIM. When we choose to rub shoulders with God every morning, we will soon realize how He will rub off on us. It is in that time of commune with Him that He will continue to transform us. We are merely vessels occupying a Holy God within us. As we feed our relationship with God, our lights will shine brighter. The brighter the light … the more people will notice. All of the sudden people will start to wonder…
🤔“How do you have that peace in this difficult circumstance?”
🤔“How did you forgive that person, they didn’t deserve your forgiveness.”
🤔“That person was so rude to you, how can you be kind in return?”
🤔 “Why are you so joyful?”
🤔“How do you have peace in your decision? How do you know you made the right decision?”
You see… it isn’t about US it is HIM inside of us. Let us all be women who partner with Him, allowing Him to chisel away the things that hold us back. Open handed, allowing Him to shift, tweak, rearrange and recenter ourselves in ways that allows His light to SHINE. Here is God’s word for you, for me and for all of us as a community. As we continue to seek Him and allowing our lights to shine to bring Him glory…
“Here’s another way to put it: You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We’re going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don’t think I’m going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I’m putting you on a light stand. Now that I’ve put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand- SHINE! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you’ll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:14-16 MSG
xo,
K
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