Candlelight

Read: Matthew 5:14-16

"You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.  Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven."

Every night before I've gone to bed I've lit a candle that a colleague of mine gave me as a closing night gift for this play I was in. It's really nice! It smells really good and sets the atmosphere for a relaxing, restful evening. And a bruva truly NEEDS it after the whole leather couch fiasco. (see, "NO...SLEEP...IN...BROOKLYN" entry)  ;-) Anyway, because of my consistent nightly usage, the candle had expired relatively quick. It only lasted about a month and some change. On the final evening that the candlewick was gonna be long enough for me to light it, I proceeded as such and noticed that the flame was significantly smaller....dimmer even. I flip the switch to turn out the overhead light and I notice that I STILL am able to see the flame flicker. I'm still able to make out the slightest blade of flame from the candle. Granted it was small and it didn't really manage to light up the room or even a corner of the room for that matter. But, I was still able to perceive its light and distinguish it in a room saturated with pitch darkness.

See the lesson there? I was reminded that at different points in our walk - our light, i.e. our good influence, our faithful service, our salt-like presence in the world, etc. may fluctuate between bright and dim. There'll be instances where we may not be seen as much or be used by God in a way that's elaborate in our eyes. It may not even seem that our light - the light the Father deposits in us - is making any significant difference in the lives or in the areas we desire. However, if we remain faithful to the work that God has placed in us & provided for us to do.....if we keep shining; keep burning for Him who gave His light for us to glorify Him.....we will ALWAYS light up the darkness. Oh it may not be a Time Square light extravaganza all the time. Nor should it be. Otherwise, we'd become the main attraction as opposed to The Father of Lights who IS the attraction. (James 1:17) The fact is that even a pinprick of light can be seen in the darkest of caves. No matter how dark they are. Darkness is naturally exposed by light....by contrast...by YOUR living contrast to it. Your light; your presence in the world is meant to be that glimmer of hope and that beacon to lead someone towards safety....to ultimately point that person right into the loving arms of Abba Father; heralding the Good News of the Kingdom and the redemptive work of Christ on the cross.

So...light up the darkness! by letting "...your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven."  Beautiful...:-)

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"For if we are beside ourselves [mad, as some say], it is for God and concerns Him; if we are in our right mind, it is for your benefit." ~ 2 Corinthians 5:13 (Amplified Bible)