Is My Light Bright?

Is My Light Bright?
You are the light of the world!... Let your light shine!... (see Matthew 5:14-16)
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In my writing Anchor Awareness, I shared this prayer from a friend who is going through a huge trial:

“God, use this difficult event to bring glory to Your Name. I pray that people would see things in us that would point them to You, that Your light would shine so brightly in us that people are blinded by Your majesty, and that You would take what the enemy meant for evil and turn it to good.”

Then, a brother read the prayer and responded with these words and question. I think this is a common question among believers, and so I asked for his permission to share it:

“I am struggling with the thought that I have not or am not able to shed His light on some of my friends and patients. My first employee who was dear to me passed away a month ago and her sister, a dear friend, is critically ill. EVERY WEEK ALMOST I hear about a patient I have known, some for decades, and may have seen a week ago, who passes away. This week, a patient I just saw a week ago passed away. This is no exaggeration! Your dear friend’s prayer request [above] really caught my attention. I always find myself guilty and distraught that I wish I could have shared the Gospel. How could I make His light shine through me?”

I replied to him in this way:

First, you have received Jesus, and so His light is in you. Your life testifies to your love for Him. Are you perfect? No, you are not. We have weaknesses, frailty, and sin. Whether you try or fail or just aren’t having the best day, His light is shining through you. You are not always aware that His light is bright in you, but it is. He in you is always shining brightly. Of course, because of His Spirit in you, you don’t want to miss the mark, but even when you do, He shines. Whether any of us are singing with your hands raised, bowing on our knees in prayer, asking someone for forgiveness, or trying to beat depression, His light shines through. It’s really not up to you to worry about whether His light is shining through you. Just abide with Him. Let Your roots go into the soil of His love, and He will take care of the fruit. This is freedom. He wants you to be glad in His finished work. The fruit of your life is His responsibility. Just agree with God about this truth. Here is a prayer I give to you to address to the Father that might be helpful. As I wrote it, I realize it is a prayer I must also pray:

“Thank you, Father, that the light of Jesus shines through me! Father, that is amazing and humbling, but it is true! Thank You for forgiving me of relying on myself to squeeze out Your light. Thank you for letting me carry Your light that shines no matter how I feel, a light that nurtures seeds of truth and grace every day. Give me opportunities to be a faithful witness in my thoughts, words, and actions. Guide me and lead me to be Your faithful ambassador and to rest in Your power that works through me!”

The Apostle Paul wrote to the believers in Corinth, “But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ and through us reveals the fragrance of the knowledge of Him in every place. For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing: to the one an aroma from death to death, to the other an aroma from life to life.” (2 Corinthians 2:14-16)

He is always fragrant through us. Some will be drawn to His light and others will not. If they are not drawn, this doesn’t mean we messed up. I have shared a good way to pray for unbelievers in the writing called He will Draw, Reveal, Save, and Seal. God works mightily through your prayers. He calls us to rest because He is doing the work. We “fight the good fight” in His strength. (For more about abiding in Him, you may also read and share the study Abiding Tools.

Is My Light Bright?

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