This Little Light Of Mine

I was asked on New Years Eve, “Have you have already taken down your Christmas lights?” (This was 6 days after Christmas Day….and I had only gotten my tree up a week before Christmas!) When my response was “no!” I was then asked….“Well, when are you planning TO take down your decorations NEXT week?   I thought a minute and thought about Epiphany….and told them, “no….I will take mine down after Epiphany.”  They proceeded to tell me a story of someone they knew who kept their tree up all year round.  I personally think that is a great idea.  I wish I had a Christmas tree room that I could just close off after Christmas….and leave my tree up…..that way when I am feeling not so Christmasy in my actions….I could go into that room and experience the day all over again.  I LOVE this idea!!!!  Normally I am a Christmas fanatic….this year….not so much.  Once I put my tree up….I thought….you know….this gives me one of the greatest pleasures in the world…..so why can’t I experience it all year long.  Is there some kind of Christmas tree Nazi out there who is going to report me to the Republican party????  I have to tell you all that  there is something magical to me about Christmas lights.  Those sparkly little lights to me symbolize brightness, love….everything Christmas is about.  Christmas lights create such a warm ambiance to me.  I love them.  Christmas lights remind me of something  Jesus said, “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:14-16.  God used lights for more than just holidays.  When I stand outside at night and gaze at the moon and the stars….I feel special.  I love the kids song, “This Little Light of Mine.”  It reminds me that I have a light that I am to carry into the world and share with others.  My efforts sometimes  are puny….and sometimes I feel insignificant….I mean come on….I am just one light bulb…..and then I remember that I am plugged into a mighty power line….His name is Jesus and my ability to share His light hinges on my holding HIS light inside of us. The light that makes us valuable to God comes from Him – not ourselves.  I have this light for a specific purpose….and need to be quiet and listen to the whisper when He tells me to let it shine!  Matthew  5:14-16 says,  "You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.  So I stop and ask myself…..exactly what’s the purpose of my little puny light?  I know!  I know!  It is to help others see God….and glorify Him!  Being the Light of the World comes by my shining Jesus’ light (not my own) and my purpose in shining that light was so that God would get the glory. But this shining of light is so important to Jesus that He gave us an example of someone who did just that.   Jesus said: “John (the Baptist) was a lamp that burned and gave light....”in  John 5:35…get it?  John the Baptist was a light of the world!!  And because John was a light of the world - Jesus was impressed.  Jesus was SO impressed that He lifted him up as an example to us.  But, what had John done that so impressed  Jesus?   John the Baptist stood up for righteousness and you can’t stand for Jesus if you’re not going to stand up for righteousness.  When the people came to him to be baptized John didn’t just take them down to the river. He drove home the fact that they needed to change their lives. He called them to live righteous lives. And  he was so righteous that even his enemies couldn’t find anything to accuse him of.   Can I say that about myself???  I am not so sure.  For John, the most important person was Jesus and thus John served his ministry for God by standing up tall for HIM.  Do I do this????  There is a Country and Western song on the radio that says, “you’ve got to stand for something, or you’ll fall for anything.”  You know that song could be the lyrics to a country song….because if you don’t stand up FOR HIM….you can’t be the light of Christ!  You can’t be a light of the World….if you are not willing to stand tall for Him!  It doesn’t matter how many times you have been to church….how many attendance medals you have for Sunday School….or how much you give to the church….what matters is that people know that Jesus is the most important thing in your life….because your light shines for Him!  When Jesus said “you are the light of the world” He wasn’t calling for holiday lights. He wasn’t calling for CEO’s (Christmas/Easter Only - you know…the ones who show up periodically). He was telling us He wanted us as lights that would shine all year round.  Are you shining?....or is your light hidden under a bush?
In the words of the Chris Rice song, "Go Light the World!"

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