Lights Shine Bright Everywhere We Go

Thanks, Toby Mac, for your great song: “Everywhere we go. Lights shine bright. Lights shine bright, everywhere we go.” It must be God's message to us because this is my second day in a row to emphasize how important it is to let our lights shine.

I remember that timeless Sunday School song that went: "This little light of mine...I'm gonna let it shine! Hide it under a bushel – NO! I’m gonna let it shine! All over the neighborhood – I’m gonna let it shine! Won’t let Satan blow it out – I’m gonna let it shine." It doesn’t take a news anchor to know that so many people in our world are living in darkness. That’s why letting our lights shine is so important. You and I might just be the LIGHTS that cause the darkness to flee -- not so much by what we say....but what we do in spite of our own circumstances. They're watching how we demonstrate God's love, peace and joy -- right in the middle of some of our darkest times.

The enemy uses daily circumstances and situations to try to douse our "light”. It may be a negative comment made to us or about us. It may be about all that TV and social media rancor. Or it is someone's bad mood or a surprising situation like a flat tire or a computer crashing (like mine on Friday) or a negative medical report or any other bad news coming our way. The "stuff of life" wields its water hose that is filled with doubt, worry, and negativity at us. What may have started out as a fun water shower from a friendly water hose that hits our flame, but it soon becomes a super water blast that douses out our fire of energy, joy and enthusiasm. With all the negativity that surrounds us, it's easy for our light to become nothing more than a little flicker.

The good news is, we have a choice to wring ourselves out from the onslaught of negativity that is coming our way. It takes a conscious effort to keep our "little lights" blazing! St. Paul reminds us, "You were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light." (Ephesians 5:8). That's what the darkness needs. It needs lights to penetrate it. In spite of our circumstances and the darkness around us, it needs lights that conquer every opposing force to continue shining God's light. We must keep in mind -- the more we hang out with THE LIGHT, the brighter our lights will shine.

People will be thinking "How can they be so peaceful, full of joy and hope when I know they're going through the stuff of life just like me?" Before long, they'll get it. They'll know it. And they'll want it, too! "In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father Who is in heaven." Matthew 5:16.

Are We Too Sleepy?

I’m an early morning riser. My built-in, wake-up clock is set for 5 am. It serves me well as I post my daily blog by 6 am so my followers can catch a positive word before their day gets into overdrive. I get dozy in the afternoon because my usual night's sleep of only five or six hours just isn’t enough to tide me over for the whole day. I was amused when my two grandsons came over yesterday to get something they left here. I never knew they were here because I was in my bedroom recliner, with earplugs in, sound asleep. Sweet rest!

Like I get sleepy during the day in the natural, I really believe there are those of us who are living life in a half asleep, groggy mindset. The enemy of our souls has drugged us with complacency. You know, the que sera sera, what-will-be-will-be mindset. We shut out the news (which isn’t a bad thing) because we don’t want to take in all the rancor. We shut off our phones because we don’t want to respond to a call. We close our ears and eyes to the pain and suffering around us. We’ve let ourselves go into a slumber by tuning out kindness and consideration for those who can’t sleep.

Some folks have become so lethargic that they have to intentionally shake their arms and legs just to get life flowing again. Others just roll over and go back to sleep. I sensed today from Heaven Central that I was supposed to sound a “wake-up” call for us. Isaiah 60:1-2 says: “Arise, shine; for your light has come! And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you. For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and deep darkness the people; but the Lord will arise over you, and His glory will be seen upon you.” How’s that for giving us a “high energy drink” that will arouse us from our slumber? The truth is – if we’re not arising and letting our little lights shine brighter than ever before, we know the enemy’s camp will make the darkness darker.

I know these words will resonate with Christ’s followers – just like when He spoke the words "Follow Me" to His disciples -- and they followed! We read very little about Jesus taking naps. He tried, but there were always those who needed Him. Jesus' call to follow Him is more than an invitation to pray a prayer. And we can sure be praying, but His call is a summons in this “deep darkness around us” to power-up, wake-up and rise-up to be the Lord’s light in this world.

In case you’re sensing that you needed this wake-up call today, you can join me in this prayer that I’m praying! “Thank You, Lord, for waking me up. Thank You for the strength and courage to be the light in the darkness of someone’s life – to be a refreshing drink of water to a thirsty soul – to be brothers and sisters to those who need love and kindness. Thank You for teaching us to truly LOVE like You. May we stand strong and shine brightly against the forces of darkness that are screaming into the ears of our generation, trying to confuse and bring conflict against You and Your Word. We know we are warring against principalities and powers of darkness that would love to snuff out Your Light and our light. Please give us a holy boldness to shine bright for You! In Jesus' name. Amen!

The Doorway We Choose is in Our Control

Oh. My. Goodness. I’m so done to listening to all the rancor that goes on in social media and the tv/online news reporting agencies. Honestly, I don’t understand how people can be so caught up in such negativity as an investigator or a reporter. How their minds must swirl with “He said. She said. They did.” How they might have trouble sleeping at night as they conjure up ways to get the next most negative news they can find. Oh, I know, in many cases – some look for great, upbeat, and positive news angles. But, in either case -- that’s the doorway they chose to walk through. They chose the good – the bad – or the ugly door and they live on that side of the doorway daily.

Now, that I’m back into my real world at home where I daily make decisions about how my day will go, I’m discovering what doorway I should walk through at any given time -- meditating on what’s good or what’s negative. I’m finding myself watching some social media videos and posts to bring me up to speed on what’s going on in our world. But, I keep hearing these words: “Choose you this day who you will serve” and I know it is about lending my eyes and my ears to the latest gossip and news or lending my eyes and ears to what God wants me to see and hear in this day. Remember St. Paul’s spiritually-elevating words in Philippians 4:8? “Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, THINK on these things.” That, my friends, is a great doorway to walk and think through.

Joshua in the Old Testament gave powerful words of choice to the Israelites right after they conquered and took Canaan. He put a choice before them -- whether they would serve the Lord or not. “Choose this day whom you will serve…..as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.” Joshua 24:15. The same choice is set before each one of us each day. The choice is up to us. God will not coerce us into serving Him. It is our daily responsibility to choose the doorways of life. Jesus came to give us an abundant life – but if we choose to listen to lies and the evil-workings of the enemy, we’re choosing death instead of life.

Proverbs 4:23 says: “More than anything guard, protect your mind, for life flows from it.” We can control the doorway to what we’re going to allow in. We can dwell on every negative thing people have said, every derogatory comment, or we can choose to delete it and dwell on what God says about us.

Let's shut the door on the enemy of our souls who keeps trying to get us to choose the doorway of defeat, fear, and anger! We are winners -- the enemy is the loser! Let’s shut the door on the enemy and choose the doorway of abundant life!