"You are the light of the world -- like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father." ~~ Matthew 5:14-16I read this and I envision a stalwart, glowing cluster of homes -- maybe in ancient Jerusalem -- sitting high atop a hill. The flicker of golden light in each and every window. A serene, picturesque, and abiding image. A quiet little town that beckons to all, "Come. Here you will find peace and rest. Here you will find a place to call 'home.'"
As Christians, we are to represent, to be Christ to the world in the same way we have come to know Christ. We are to love (Lk. 10:27). We are to seek after Christ and serve Him by serving others, and give to Christ by giving to others (Mt. 6:19-21). Forgive (Mt. 18:21-22). Rejoice, pray, and give thanks (1 Th. 5:16-18). Render others as more important than ourselves and look out for the interests of others, that the body of Christ may be unified (Phil. 2:3,4). Do everything to the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31). And the way we do all of that is to remain rooted in Him, learning and yielding to good teaching, with grateful hearts (Col. 2:6,7) Just to name a few. But the reality of life sometimes looks more like a dirty diaper -- current location unknown, a daily noise level that could cause an uninformed neighbor to call the police, thirty years of work for an employer fixated only on its bottom line, crayon on my brand new sweater (and I am the guilty party) and a washing machine that requires motivational speaking just to manage the regular workload thrust upon the poor dear. How can we shine like warm, inviting lights on a hill when our lives feel more like the dark, cold valley the rest of the world is standing in?
First of all, I think an attitude of gratitude is essential. Focusing on the things we have been given, the blessings that remain right before our eyes on the daily helps us to remember who God is and all He does. In 1 Samuel 7, the nation of Israel, under the leadership of Samuel, repented and rededicated themselves to serving God. During this time, their enemies, the Philistines closed in to attack. Before they even had the opportunity, God confused the Philistines, making it possible for the men of Israel to pursue and slay them. Samuel erected a stone and called it Ebeneezer, "the stone of help." It was to serve as a remembrance of God's help when their trust was placed in His hands. Gratitude does that for us. It causes us to pinpoint the times in which God blessed us with victory over trouble, or blessed us to encourage us in our faith. Gratitude, keeping a running list of the goodnesses of God commemorates His hand in our lives and assures us, what He did before He will do again.
Secondly, repentance and seeking after the Lord. When the pasta boils over and the dog is barking incessantly to come in or go out or come in or go out; and there's a fight breaking out in the playroom and Mom just needs a hug, it can be tough to be that beacon of hope. In fact, I can feel more like a firecracker. But repentance says, "If I can't be Christ to those around me I am the problem." Christ lives and breathes in me; He has since the first "I do." If I am thinking of losing my cool on the next person that sucks their teeth at me, it's because I am standing in Christ's light. I am looking to meet my needs, not the needs of those I have been given to serve. And I need to repent. I need to ask the Lord what He wants me to be doing right at that moment. Perhaps I need to stand still and watch Him work. Perhaps I need to turn things down to a simmer and come alongside some folks. Either way, the clear and consistent light of Christ -- not my fiery explosion -- will always draw people to the Father.
Lastly, I think it's important to ask for help. It sounds so simple, doesn't it? I can't tell you how many times Rome has been burning and here I am just dumping fuel. People want to argue, the bills keep coming in, my schedule is filling in like storm clouds before a squall, it's 3 pm and I am still trying to do my morning devotions from two days ago! So, I stop, lift my eyes to the hills and find my He-- No. I argue back, I stress over the bills, I try to figure out how I'm going to manage all the things I have to do, and I mutter about all my needy, self-serving housemates who can't leave me alone for five minutes. After my fourth or fifth trip to the bathroom, seeking asylum, it dawns on me, by the grace of God, that not once in all of this have I, a) repented and sought the Lord or, b) simply asked for help. At these moments, I am no better than anyone else demanding their own way -- so much for that city on a hill. Even Jesus asked for help!
Christians aren't perfect. Their lives aren't perfect. But we do have a Savior and Friend who wants us to succeed in all He has called us to do. He wants us to use what we have learned as we walk through the valley, to give light to others. And He wants us to draw others to Him as we live our lives in obedience, our good deeds shining for all to see.
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