Light it Up part 4
There's a light that shines inside you. That's why you were created--to shew forth the praise of God! But kind of where my focus has really been in this Rant series is the glorious truth that we DO NOT try really hard in order to shine. We light it up, so to speak, only because Jesus already lit us up! He did all of the heavy lifting. He finished the work. And now our part--our ONLY part--is to believe. How amazing is it that what's true of Jesus is true of us? That's something I really don't think we fully comprehend. As He is, so are we in this world. But that's the only reason He could describe both us and Himself as the light of the world. Because it's the same light! It's not me seeing His light and then trying to recreate it. It's His light--His life, His love--IN me coming out of me as I fill myself with the fulness of what I've already been filled with. And how do I fill myself? Let me link two verses together: "Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation" (Isaiah 12:3), and "The mouth of a righteous man is a well of life: but violence covereth the mouth of the wicked" (Proverbs 10:11). We draw the water of life--of light--out of the well (that we are) with joy. The well (that we are) is the mouth. When we speak--or confess, which means to agree with--life we, in effect, "make" the light shine. Or, more appropriately, we LET the light shine. What you confess is what defines your reality--either what you see with your natural eyes, or what we see with your Spiritual eyes. Because what you see is what you say. What you see is what you be. And confessing... actually speaking... is an act that proves what believe. Remember James' truth that faith without works is dead? It's easy to "believe" something. It's something else to put your money where your mouth is. Or your mouth where you belief it. I remember a time when I was reading Paul's letters to the churches and I kept seeing him use the word, "charity" instead of the word, "love." And I couldn't figure out why that would be. Then God told me that charity is love in action! It's more than just an idea. It's more than just a word. It's the Word made flesh. It's actually laying down your life for your friends. Not, "I love them because I have to because I'm supposed to love everybody," but, "I love you and there's nothing I wouldn't do for you." Jesus told us that the greatest expression of love a man can have is to lay down His life for His friends. And He said we are His friends if we obey His commandment. And He said the New Commandment is to love one another as He loves us. So... how did He love us? By laying His life down for us! And it's that kind of sacrifical love--that perfect love--that casts our fear. Fear of darkness. Fear of rejection. Fear of no one loving us. I think sometimes people don't love--or don't express their love--because they are afraid if they give what they've got, and it isn't returned, then they won't have anything. But look at what Isaiah 55:11 says about the Word (love), "So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it." In other words... Love never fails!