Shine as a Star

"Dear friends,

you always followed my instructions 

when I was with you.

And now that I am away,

it is even more important.

Work hard to show the results of your salvation,

obeying God with deep reverence and fear.

For God is working in you,

giving you the desire

and the power to do what pleases him.

Do everything without complaining or arguing,

so that no one can criticize you.

Live clean, innocent lives as children of God,

shining like bright lights in a world full of

crooked perverse people.

Hold firmly to the word of life;

then, on the day of Christ's return,

I will be proud that I did not run

the race in vain and that my work was not useless."

Philippians 2:12-16 NLT

It was so dark that I could not see a thing, no matter how long I let my eyes adjust.  I carefully felt around me, trying to gain my bearings.  Where am I? I wondered groggily.  The fog of sleep still enveloped my mind, making even the simplest of thoughts difficult.  Then it all came flooding back when my hand touched my sleeping bag and the scent of canvass filled my nostrils.  Oh, that's right.  I'm camping.

As my mind came awake, the need to relieve myself overpowered the dread of a trek to the latrine so I groped for my flashlight.  As the dim beam pierced the inky blackness, the darkness suddenly seemed less formidable.  Even a small amount of light immensely improved the surroundings.

In the same way, I am a light that can shine into the shadows of the world that does not have the advantage of the Truth of the Gospel.  How can I shine into this darkness where Evil rules?

Work Out

It didn't make sense.  God said he would be the father of many nations, but he and his wife weren't getting any younger and still they were childless.  How will all families on earth be blessed through me when it looks like my name will end at my death? (Genesis 12:2-3)

Even though Abraham had a lot about which to be skeptical and he doubted for a time when he took matters into his own hands (Genesis16:1-2), in the end, Abraham trusted God and yielded to His plan.  In the same way, I can trust God's plan for my life, yielding to His sovereign work as He moves all the pieces into place in order that His name will be glorified. 

This means I must be sensitive to His leading, waiting when I sense the need, and acting when His Spirit moves me.  I also need to develop a reverence for God and His absolute sovereignty as well as to His holy nature.  Expecting to be able to understand the details of His plan is unreasonable.  Part of faith is trusting without seeing how things will work out but knowing without a doubt that they will work out.

I shine my light in a dark world who has no hope or purpose when I let God have His way both in the big decisions and in the small details.

Spotlight

I remember the Whiners on the older episodes of Saturday Night Live.  No matter the circumstances, this family always saw the negative side of things and were never shy about making their displeasure known.

As one who has been saved by the grace of God through the sacrifice Jesus willingly made on the cross, I have no need to whine and complain.  Instead, I have everything to look forward to in Christ!  Consequently, my attitude should reflect this hope I have been given.

To change my outlook, it is necessary for me to focus on the good that God is doing all around me.  In order to guard myself from falling into the trap of whining and complaining that comes so easily to my sinful nature, I must intentionally look for the fruit of God's handiwork.  As Isaiah said, "Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.  See, I am doing a new thing!  Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?"  (Isaiah 43:18-19)

God is constantly bringing life into what seems like a hopeless situation, but in order to notice what He is doing, I have to pay attention.

I shine my light into a dark world who has no hope or purpose when I adopt a thankful spirit that looks for the good that God is doing.

Hold Out

His Father's Word was always on His lips.  Whenever He entered a situation, whether it be in the desert to be tempted by Satan, or in the Temple when people were looking for wisdom, Jesus often used Scripture to encourage, instruct and preach.  His words brought life to every situation.

As His follower, I am called to use God's Word in much the same way, holding it out before me as I go through my day.  Is my coworker down?  I can lift her spirits with the hope found in God's Word.  When a friend is confused, the truth of scripture lends a sense of discernment and adds godly perspective to any situation.  If a family member is ready to give up, the Gospel can bring a new-found purpose.

God said through the prophet Isaiah that His Word is similar to the life-giving precipitation He sends to water the earth, resulting in fruit for us to eat.  In the same way, His Word always accomplishes the purpose for which He sent it. (Isaiah 55:10-11)  A well placed word of encouragement from scripture will bring about results we never could have imagined.

I shine my light into a dark world who has no hope or purpose when I hold out the Word of life to lift up those who need help.

There is no doubt that this world is dark.  Thankfully, though, I need not adopt the attitude of those around me who do not have the advantage of the Truth of the Gospel.  Instead, it is important that I work out my own salvation, keep a positive, grateful attitude, and make it a habit to use the Word of God to instruct, encourage and guide those who need help.  In this way I will shine like a star in the night sky!

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can purposefully look for the good things God is going all around me.

When do I focus more on the negative instead of the positive?

How am I using my own common sense to counsel others instead of the Word of God?