Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house.(Matthew 5:15 – ESV)
It is easy to see in a well-lit place, and when there are many lights on individual lights aren’t the focus. But when there is only one light in a dark place it becomes more the focus, as it is not like the rest of the place. When something or someone is the only source of light in a dark place, it illuminates more clearly the fact that it is different. It draws more attention to itself naturally.
In a church service or conference or event, it is to be expected that everyone will act in a Christ like manner, speak of Christ, and be open to listen about Christ. All the lights are shining into a well-lit place. However, outside of the church, the conference, or the event, outside the magnified light of Christ, out in the dark world of deceit, it is a different matter. The shining light is actually more needed out there. The question becomes, does your light shine as bright when you are the only light present, when all else is darkness? Or do you turn the dimmer switch on when it is convenient for you?
You could be going to all sorts of events, concerts, conferences, and meetings with other professed believers, but if that doesn’t translate into action, not just within your own life, but spread out to other lives, it is not the true gospel you are into. It doesn’t make good biblical sense to attend meetings where you just bash the contemporary scene of worldliness, and then go out and not try and be a light in the midst of it. How is that helping? Isn’t that hypocritical?
If all you do is go to meetings and talk about how so and so is wicked or such and such thing is evil or howl and moan about the state of the church, and yet when you go back out into the everyday world you don’t live to try and bring the truth in love and light to the dark person or situation, what you are doing is not gospel but gossip. You are only proclaiming other peoples’ sin but not the good news of Jesus Christ. All you are doing is spreading the bad news to those inside the camp but not spreading the good news to those outside it.
The truth is that it is wicked out there in the world, and that is why we cannot just bemoan it but do nothing about it. We need to share the good news of Jesus Christ and His marvelous light, not only in word, but also in deed and in truth. Don’t be a dim bulb. Speaking of the problems without speaking of the Solution is gossip, not gospel. If you don’t share you don’t care.
4 comments:
Ouch! Very interesting to sit and listen to conversations (or to be in one) and wait to see if anyone says anything uplifting or positive or nice. Even humor is so rarely positive, it seems. But I agree, my light is better tested out in the tornado than it is safe in the church basket.
I remember watching "Perfect Storm" with your mother, and we noticed how, when the waves were crashing and the wind was blowing and all the terror happening, the George Clooney character went out to fix the communications using a blowtorch, and Margie remarked, "how come that thing doesn't go out with all that wind and water hitting it?"...it was made to withstand the elements...too much power in that firelight...may God make us like blowtorches in the midst of the dark storms ahead...
...not that we rain down fire on people, mind you, but that nothing can put our lights out..
Speaking of the problems without speaking of the Solution is gossip, not gospel. If you don’t share you don’t care.
Strong words. My flesh wants to rise up. My spirit however is resonating with the Truth of the matter. May the Lord, Jesus Christ, cause us to care more and more as we see the day approaching.
Even so...come Lord Jesus.
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