Light

More Light Required

The message on Sunday at theChapel resonated with me. I've been processing it these last few days to prepare myself to write about it. So many messages I've heard there, and at CCGS lately, seem to be a direct answer to prayer. The message at theChapel Sunday, More Light Required, was one such message.

Luke 11:33-36 AMP

“No one lights a lamp and then puts it in a cellar nor under a basket [hiding the light], but [instead it is put] on the lampstand, so that those who come in may see the light. The eye is the lamp of your body. When your eye is clear [spiritually perceptive, focused on God], your whole body also is full of light [benefiting from God’s precepts]. But when it is bad [spiritually blind], your body also is full of darkness [devoid of God’s word]. Be careful, therefore, that the light that is in you is not darkness. So if your whole body is illuminated, with no dark part, it will be entirely bright [with light], as when the lamp gives you light with its bright rays.”

In his message, Pastor Jason talked about how we can miss something important if we don't have enough light. His analogy used the concept of our mobile phone cameras when attempting to capture a precious moment and how the camera will sometimes notify us that more light [is] required. The message then applied how Jesus helps how we see other people, our path, and our problems.

Other People

With other people, more light is required for discernment.

I have been praying for discernment in all of my relationships. I've even asked a few of my brothers in Christ to help pray for this as well. Over the years, I have had several friends and family members whom I have shared with too much about my life. Not everyone in my life has the same character or spirit as I do. Some will use the information I share against me and some will simply not even listen...hehehe

There are very few who genuinely care for and will love me with the compassion of Christ. So I need to discern who has and hasn't been chosen by God to share my life with. Furthermore, which relationship are worth investing in and which are to be treated more like acquaintances? Not every friend is a true friend, after all. I am to love everyone. Not everyone will love me. Likewise, no one needs to earn my love and I do not need to earn theirs.

Shining the Light of Jesus on my relationships will help me discern which ones are built on Jesus and which are not. So, more light [is] required. If I see His Light in them, that's a pretty good sign, right?!

Our Path

With my path, more light is required for direction.

This has been another prayer I have focused on this year. Now that I'm back on what I feel is the right path, I want to apply His Word as a lamp unto my feet and light unto my path (Ps 119:105). I can clearly see the destination. God's Kingdom is where I want to be and I want to bring as many along with me as I can. But there is so much more to it than that. There is a journey before the destination. I can't just skip ahead and waltz right on into the Kingdom, now can I?!? LOL And honestly, why would I even want that?

There are seemingly countless examples of people being used by God in the Bible to bring about His Kingdom here on earth. I want to be a part of that! My life isn't even about me. It is absolutely about Him. But in order to follow the path God has set before me, more light [is] required.

It has only been about 18 months that I have been consistent with church again. And just over 6 of those months have included consistency with the Word. My work in progress, making progress attitude has afforded me the habit forming abilities needed to remain in the Word on a daily basis. I'm grateful to God for His Strength in this area. Now I need to keep moving forward using that Word to light the way, His Way!

Our Problems

With my problems, more light is required to see danger.

Unlike the other two, this one could get really deep here. But I'm going to try to avoid that...hehehe I sometimes go too deep. And that isn't necessary right now. We all have problems, right?!? No one really likes light to reveal their problems. I'm no different in that regard. So, let's just stick to how light can help me avoid problems...hehehe

I'd say that for most of my life, I haven't done well with applying Godly wisdom to the day-to-day circumstances I have faced. Whether it is succumbing to temptation or simply making a wrong decision, a lot of my problems have been the direct result of making poor decisions. Most of those decisions have only affected me. However, it has sometimes affected the people I love. Regardless if something I'm doing only affects more or it affects a loved one, more light [is] required.

I have found that by being in the Word daily lately, scripture bubbles up to my mind as I go about my day. And they are usually passages that will directly apply to what I am facing in that moment. I'm not well versed enough to recall a passage for everything I face. But there has been a noticeable increase in such occurrences of late. Could this be Jesus shining His Light on my daily choices? I certainly believe it does!

Shine

Pastor Jason further went on to explain when we shine the light we've taken in, people in darkness will see Jesus. Jesus is the light of the world (John 1:9, John 8:12, John 9:5). And just like the light in the Luke passage above is placed on a lampstand, Jesus was lifted up on the cross (a lampstand) for all to see. In Matthew 5:14, Jesus also calls us the light of the world. In the Matthew passage, it is the same story as the one from Luke but with that additional statement. It is Christ in me that becomes the Light that my world sees.

My daily discipline is incredibly important. Now more so than ever. Having a daily routine for worship, the Word, and prayer has been a life changing experience. And the message I heard on Sunday and how I am processing it is now documented right here in my journal. It was like God saying, Okay Greg, now here is how you can begin applying what I've been working on in your life. Go now and Shine!

Hiding the Light

The part of the Luke passage where it says you don't hide the light in the cellar or under a basket brings back a funny memory from my childhood. I had this really nice lamp that looked like a covered wagon from old settler days as the United States grew westward. Back in the 80s, we didn't have these fancy LED light bulbs that are cool to the touch...LOL We just had incandescent bulbs that got quite hot...hehehe (Thinking about the Easy Bake Oven)

Well, one night, I was trying to use the lamp to see but I didn't want to wake my brother. We shared a bedroom at the time. So, I placed a pillow on the lamp as to block the light from casting over to his side of the room. After a short while, I began to smell smoke and I panicked a little. I lifted the pillow and it had begun to catch on fire and had already burned through the lampshade! LOL

That's how I feel it should be with the Light that is growing inside of me today. If I don't place the light on its lampstand for all to see, and instead try to hide it under a pillow, I want it to burn a hole in my heart so it bursts out of my chest!