Have you ever wondered your purpose? The one thing you’re supposed to do in life? A lot of us automatically think about what we’re gonna be when we grow up. And while I think what you do for a “living” is an important part of us, I believe that God has called all of us for one purpose. The rest (talents, jobs, influences) are just utensils to how we achieve that purpose.
We are all called to….
Be a Lamp to shine HIS light to others
“Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.”” – John 8:12 NLT
What a powerful thought in this scripture: You have the light that leads to life…..The light inside you has life and can lead others to know Jesus. It has the power to change lives and restore faith.
God can use us no matter how bright our light is.
When we go to Virginia to visit my family, we stay at my grandparent’s house. In my childhood bedroom, my grandma has this digital alarm clock that she put in the room a few years back. This clock is not very bright but as I lay in bed in pure darkness, my eyes begin to adjust to the room and within minutes that dim alarm clock light begins to glow brighter and brighter; removing the pitch black darkness that once was.
During our last trip, I was trying to ignore that bright light and go to sleep but I couldn’t get past the thought of really how little God needs from us to make great change happen in this dark world.
God can do so much with what little we have.
So if the smallest glimpse of light can light up a small room, what would it look like if we gathered several small lamps of light in one dark place?
Just think about that for a minute. If a small light can create that much light, how much greater could we impact this dark world if we gathered several believers together to shine His light in the darkness together??
It doesn’t matter how little our lamp is or how dimly His light shines through us, If we allow Him to, God can take what we have and connect our light with others and use it to shine brighter than ever before. We were never meant to do this calling alone.
We need to keep our light as bright as we can though. Our lights are like the batteries in a flashlight. The more life our battery has (aka knowledge of the Bible and relationship with Jesus) the more juice we have to power the light at the brightness God has placed inside of us but when we become complacent and think we can do life on our own and in our own power, our battery life loses charge and the light starts to dwindle and fade.
So, how do we keep HIS light within us and share with others?
- We spend time with Jesus. Get to know Him. Allow Jesus to show you your strengths and the talents He has given you to fulfill His purpose. Fuel your light as much as you can. The brighter the light, the more influence you have.
- Share the goodness with others. If God gives you a word, a thought or calls you to action; share it. Let others know of the great things God is doing. Don’t keep it bottled up for yourself. We are called to be doers of His word. So fill up, shine bright and share that light.
- Be open to change. God gives us different talents and callings on our lives to be used in different seasons. And with each season we are in, God will call us to use certain tools for that particular chapter in our lives. So we should be sensitive and open to the direction He calls us to.
Just look at Jonah for example: He DID NOT want to go to Nineveh. He refused the calling God gave him in that current season and ran in the opposite direction. And the more he refused to let God use him in the way he was called him to, the more difficult his journey became. He could of avoided all the hardships had he listened to God’s direction in the first place. But when He finally listened and obeyed, he saved the people of Nineveh from disaster. His one little lamp changed the course for all in Nineveh. It amazes me as to what God can do with one person when we listen and obey?!
Let our lights shine bright and allow God use our lamp to bring His word to others.
“In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” – Matthew 5:16
