LIGHT – Reflection

I started 2015 by looking for a one word goal that might give overall definition to the year ahead.  That word for me is LIGHT.

As followers of Christ, we are called to be a light in the darkness (Matthew 5:16).

As we know, all light has a source. On our own, the light of our lives can be rather weak and tend to fade into the darkness.  In this way, we are not unlike a flashlight. With new batteries, the light is bright and crisp, but, as the batteries are used, the light dims until it eventually goes out. In fact, this “little light of mine” (loved singing that song as a kid!) has felt a little dim the first few weeks into the new year.  It’s just been a struggle to feel the joy of getting back into the normal routines, a chore to find my rhythm again, and I’ve even felt a little sadness that some of those last few quiet days of 2014 are over. In a sense, some of the chaos of 2015 has begun.  But in order for our LIGHT to shine bright in this new year, we must plug into the true and eternal source of all power and light – Christ.

I remember growing up and my mom used to say that she could sense a change in my speech, my attitude, and even my personality when I spent time around certain kids.  It took me a while to see what my wise mother was talking about as I didn’t even notice the change.  What she meant in our discussions was that who I spent the most time with became a great influence on me.  And depending upon my decisions of who I surrounded myself with (for the good and sometimes for the bad), I could be setting myself up for success or failure.  Reminds me of a great quote by Jim Rohn (see below).

Perhaps you recall having a similar discussion with one of your parents.  I certainly “get it” now what she was telling me all those years as I spend a great deal of time talking with my children about the importance of their friendship choices.  I think there is real truth in that quote about each of us becoming the average of our five closest companions.  The question we might consider “reflecting” on today is have we chosen Christ as our #1 friend or did He even make our top five?

Our top five have quite an effect on the LIGHT we reflect.  We actually “allow” them to determine our wattage.  And as great as friends and family can be (especially when we have chosen wisely – my mother would be so proud), their lights can tend to fluctuate just like ours can.  But if the source of our LIGHT is Christ, we can be a constant glowing reflection of our Savior.  He should be the never ending source of our brightness. He’s the one we should allow to lead and guide us through the ups and downs and even the dark moments of this life.

So what is they key to making sure it is Christ’s LIGHT we are reflecting?  We need to choose to make him Lord and Savior of our lives (click here to read more about Christ’s Simple Plan), and we need to spend time daily allowing Him to guide us, teach us, and protect us from a dark world.  I know we all talk a great deal about how we need to spend more quiet time with Christ, but what are we waiting for?  Each day that we can’t seem to find the time, we miss out on so many opportunities to be a LIGHT for Him.  We miss out on allowing Him to bring our chaos into order.  We miss out on finding joy even in the midst of sorrow.  Let’s not miss out any more!

Join me in making a commitment for 2015 (and beyond!) to daily spend time in prayer and reading the Bible even if just for a few minutes.  For me, the best time is first thing in the morning with a strong cup of coffee.  It sets the tone for my entire day.  Perhaps for you the evening would be better.  Figure it out, put it as a reminder on your phone or calendar, and just do it!  Reading His word will light the way for us in this new year (Psalm 119:105)!

My prayer is that we allow Christ to be the source of our light, that our lives are a constant glowing reflection of His love to a world in need, and that we choose to make time each day for Him.

Happy New Year!