EXPOSING OUR LIGHT
By Caryn Burdine
The process is slow and invisible. We are walking with God, and His light is shining in us, but something diverts our attention. Lot pitched his tents near Sodom (Gen. 13:12, NIV). We are intrigued and we move in a little closer. The Light within flickers. [Lot] was living in Sodom (Gen. 14:12, NIV). Eventually, we become involved, and the Light is snuffed out. Lot was sitting in the gateway of [Sodom] (Gen. 19:1, NIV). The subtleness of temptations -- seeping into our lives and slowly destroying the very blessings God had intended for us.
No “thing” in this world is comparable to the blessings of God. The resources He offers can transform lives, heal the brokenhearted, and revive the dying soul. But do we really use these gifts to their full potential, or do we hold onto them in fear of losing their benefits to ourselves? Are we hoarding the blessings we've received from God?
The incredible reality of God's blessings is the way they are multiplied unto us as we give them away to others. Like the parable of the hidden talents (Matt. 25:14-30), our gifts are likely to be taken away from us if we bury them in the ground and fail to share them with our lost and dying world. However, as we use them to encourage and help others, they come back to us multiplied.
So, I ask myself: Am I actively using my given resources -- love, forgiveness, patience, self-control? Am I passing on my blessings -- my time, my knowledge, my possessions? Do I share my knowledge of Jesus with others -- am I witnessing? Is God a noticeable figure in my daily life?
I compare myself with Lot who lived in the sin-filled city of Sodom. He was "a righteous man, who was distressed by the filthy lives of lawless men" and "was tormented in his soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard" (2 Peter 2:7-8, NIV). Yet, the Bible never speaks of Lot sharing his knowledge of God with the sinful men in Sodom. These men considered him an alien and mocked him as he protected his visitors (Gen. 19:9, NIV). And when he warned his future sons-in-law of the coming destruction, they thought he was joking (Gen. 19:14). Lot's relationship with God was not real to others. He made no impact in the lives he touched. How am I comparable to Lot?
Although Lot was considered righteous, it appears that he buried his "gifts" -- resources -- and ended up losing it all. Only through the pleas of his Uncle Abraham was his life spared in the destruction of Sodom. But in the haste of leaving, his possessions were left behind and his wife perished in disobedience. Lot escaped Sodom only through the flames of God's grace (1 Cor. 3:15).
Throughout his years in Sodom, Lot was sure to have had many opportunities to share the Light -- his knowledge of God -- with the residents of that sinful city. However, his silence about God corrupted his witness for God. In addition to no one being saved through his testimony, Lot had allowed the sinful customs of the city to infiltrate his family. Later in the chapter of Genesis we read of his daughters turning to incest (a common practice in Sodom) for fear of losing the family line.
Chuck Swindoll described it so clearly: When a white glove touches a pile of mud, it is always the mud that sticks to the glove. Never do we see remnants of the glove in the mud. Lot allowed himself to get too close to sin, and he made a choice not to shine the light of God. No one saw a difference in Lot. No one was drawn to his lifestyle or to his God because of his complacency in the goings on around him.
What about me? God wants me to be an influence to others. I am not to blend in with the sinful. Rather, I am to stand out as an example. "No one lights a lamp and hides it in a jar or puts it under a bed. Instead he puts it on a stand, so that those who come in can see the light" (Luke 8:16, NIV). As I allow my light to shine, others will be drawn to God. Lot chose to hide his lamp and it cost him dearly. Is my light exposed?
How often am I like Lot? How many times have I made the choice to hide my light in order to save offence to others? How many times have I chosen not to share my knowledge of God, His love and His forgiveness for fear of condemnation or embarrassment?
I am called to be the light of the world (Matt. 5:14). Jesus tells me to "let [my] light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven" (Matt. 5:16, NIV). God's light shining through me will expose the darkness that sin has enveloped. The risk is condemnation from others, but the benefit is a seed planted in hope of a life being changed.
Others must see the reality of my faith in God through my words and actions. As I obediently share my gifts and resources with others, God's blessings are multiplied. My light becomes a beacon to the wayward drifters.
So many circumstances in our society today are screaming to be exposed through the light of our Savior, Jesus Christ. He has promised that "the one who trusts in Him will never be put to shame" (Ps. 25:3, NIV). How can I possibly be ashamed of what I know to be the truth? Is not the miraculous transformation of my own life enough to give me the boldness I need to stand up to the sin and immorality of today? I must take the risk to stand on the hill alone -- shining my light -- with the hope that others will see a difference in me and be drawn to the Kingdom. One wayward ship may be drawn to the safety of His shores.
© 1999 Caryn Burdine