What Wattage is Your Light?

Let’s sing it together….one more time! "This little light of mine...I'm gonna' let it shine!" What a great old song we learned as kids. "This Little Light of Mine" is a gospel song written for children in the 1920s by Harry Loes. Obviously, its message was as needed in the 1920s as it is now almost 100 years later in the 2020s. It was a dark time in the 1920s with the stock market crashing. The economic boom and the Jazz Age were over, and America began the period called the Great Depression.

And here we are in the almost 2020’s where our world is still filled with darkness and so many people choose to live in the dark. Those lost souls may never find the light anywhere in the world except from you and me and the gospel that we live in front of them -- not so much by what we say....but how we demonstrate God's love in our actions to them. People are watching us. And it is our light that draws them in to ask: "Why is your life so peaceful and full of joy?” And we can boldly reply "It's God's love!" St. Paul reminds us, "You were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light." (Ephesians 5:8).

I had an aha moment about the variations of light that we should consider as LIGHT bearers. There are times when we need to let our light shine as a soft, calming, sensitive and tender candlelight to those around us. Other times, our wattage needs to be amped up boldly and brightly to bring about clarity and illumination so that those who see us, see the truth of God's love and Word. Then there are times when we need the high beams of flood and spot lights -- that dispel the darkness as we lift up He Who is the One deserving to be in the spotlight -- after all HE IS THAT LIGHT.

I know I need to wisely discern which light wattage I should be using at any given time. My “little light” needs to be regulated in those moments so that it is Jesus’ light – not MY light that makes the difference in their lives -- especially when sharing about Him. As I sing "This little light of mine, I'm gonna' let it shine" -- I'm considering: "Do I need to turn up the dimmer switch or turn it down?" Do I put away the harsh, cold light that is insensitive and makes others just want to stay away from my light? Those decisions are best accomplished by checking in with THE LIGHT SOURCE -- He Who knows everything about everything will guide us and help us light the way for others to come to Him.

So, let's "let it shine, let it shine....all the time", being God’s light that dispels darkness in the faces and places that need His loving light the most. It’s about shining our lights for Him Whose light is bearable, lovable, healing, and draws people to Him. Shining Jesus to this world is the way to go and if people around us can’t handle it, then let’s give them some shades!

God’s Road Map -- the Surest Way to Stay on Course

Road Map – a map, a plan or strategy intended to reach and achieve a particular goal...........A couple of weeks ago I was asked to share my favorite daily devotion with a group of new Christians. It was easy for me to share, because this “book” has been my daily "road map" all my life.

We don’t use road maps too much these days with the advent of technology and GPS systems, but I remember, even as a child, loving to hold one of those paper maps and with my finger follow along the roads that my daddy was driving to West Virginia to visit my oldest sister and her family. Then I was promoted to being the navigator, using the Atlas Map Books, as my husband & I and our ministry team traveled the U.S. and Canada in our 28 ft Winnebago. But, my navigating skills were tested to the core as we flew in our Cessna 182, as my husband’s Co-Pilot and Navigator. Flying took mapping to a whole new level as we had all kinds of other considerations besides roads. We had to consider the weather, coordinates, the wind velocity, and we used ground landmarks, shorelines, rivers, mountains, things other than just roads to consider. Of course, today, GPS systems for flying and driving changed just about everything.

If only we would be as attentive to the “road map” that God gave us for our lives. That road map is found in God’s Word, the Bible. The Bible is not just some musty old book that we can just ignore because it was written ages ago. It is the Word of God, written down by those individuals who were inspired by Him. The texts are about us and our lives, even though they are thousands of years old. Every time that we read or hear scriptures from the Bible, God speaks to us and touches us in a new way. Of course, the Bible’s most important message is God’s love for every person, including you and me.

I told the group that I’ve used the Bible as my “end all” in all the ups and downs of my life and it has never failed me. When I had been in fear – I would turn to the concordance in the back of my Bible and look up scriptures on courage; when I was sad – I would look up scriptures on joy; when I was sick, I would look up scriptures on healing. God was speaking directly to me as I read those words that were His PROMISES to us.

Now, what’s so easy and simple for us to do in this information age – no matter whether we’re carrying around a hard copy of our Bible or not, we can google scriptures on our laptops or phones: scriptures on love; scriptures on healing; scriptures on joy – and a host of scriptures will pop up.

If I had the cure for stress and worry; for sadness and pain and kept it to myself, what kind of friend would I be? I do have the cure – it’s found in our Road Map for Success in Life…..and it’s called “The Bible” – God’s Word. I can't begin to tell you how many times I've read a scripture and my perspective completely changed and the navigation I needed to go from Point A to Point B in decision making was given to me. Like a good road map, God's Word points us to the best roads and places of insight and illumination so that God's Spirit can shine His Light into our minds and hearts. And that "road map" NEVER needs updating. The roads, the destinations, the promises and the treasures are as sure today as at the time they were written when He illuminated them to His transcribers.

Hebrews 4:12 “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”

2 Timothy 3:16 “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness…”

What is Your Little Light Shining?

Day 193 of Photo Inspirations -- What is Your Little Light Shining?
At my Life Group this week, we were discussing "letting our lights shine", when one of our gals mentioned that she had taken a course in college called "The Study of Lasers".  She went on to tell us that light travels in straight lines.  A laser produces light, but unless the laser light bounces off of something, you cannot see it.  The beam is invisible in normal air.  However, you can see the beam if there is something in the air, like smoke, that the light can bounce off of.  It takes time for our brains to understand what our eyes see.  Because of that, a fast moving laser beam spot will not look like a spot at all, but like a line of light.  That's AMAZING!

We had just talked about lighting a candle to dispel the darkness in our world.  Then she said, "There's a lot of difference between candlelight and laser light, and there are a lot of different lights in between:  incandescent, flourescent, halogen, LED.  She said, "Singing 'This little light of mine, I'm gonna' let it shine' sure takes on a whole new meaning with those thoughts.  Right?"

Different light sources have different purposes.  A soft candlelight brings calmness and sweet ambience to a room.  An incandescent light bulb is what Thomas Edison invented.  An electric current passes through the filament in the bulb, heating it to a temperature that produces light.  And, it can be dimmed or made brighter.  Then there's the flourescent light that gives a flat, cold light, often bluish and harsh. It is a daylight-equivalent and cannot be put on a dimmer. Then there are the LED -- Flood or Spotlights.  Those are the lights that cities are brilliantly lit up and it causes the evil lurkers to hide from them.  And, then there is the laser light.

I had an aha moment about the variations of light that we should consider since we are LIGHT bearers.  Unquestionably, there are times when we need to be soft candlelight that is calm, sensitive, and tender to those around us.  Other times, our light must be bold and bright to bring about clarity and illumination and eyes of understanding to be opened to the truth of God's love and Word.  Then there are times when our lights are flood and spot lights -- that dispel the darkness as we lift up He Who is the One deserving to be in the spotlight -- after all HE IS THAT LIGHT.  And then there is the LASER light that is the LASER Sword of "God's Word that is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires."  Hebrews 4:12

This aha moment spoke to me about the times when I need to regulate my "little light" and pay attention to which light I should be shining at any given time -- especially when sharing about Him.   Yes, now as I sing "This little light of mine, I'm gonna' let it shine" -- I'm going to consider "Do I need to turn up the dimmer switch or turn it down?"  Do I put away the harsh, cold light that is insensitive and makes others just want to stay away from my light?  And, what about pulling out my LASER Sword of God's Word?  Those decisions are best accomplished by checking in with THE LIGHT SOURCE -- He Who knows everything about everything will guide us and help us light the way for others to come to Him.