Episode 138

TODAY’S READING:

14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

Matthews 5:14-16

 

We are called to be the light of the world. Yes, you are called to be the light of the world. That doesn’t mean you have to hold the weight of the world. Man, do we get those two mixed up all of the time.

 

Today is our Advent Day 8 Prayer. We’ve been preparing for Christmas, learning more about Jesus and who is was and still is in our lives. In order to understand his true mission, we must understand what role we get to play in this crazy thing called life.

 

In this verse, Jesus is talking. He tells us, “You are the light of the world.” So often, we walk around, not as if we are the light of this world, but as if we were carrying the weight of this world.

 

We walk around nervous and always stressed. Everything needs to be done fast. We live on IG. We see small pockets of perfect images in a person’s life, and we compare them to ours. Election season had us all nervous. Natural disasters shake us to our core. The pandemic knocked us all off our feet and made us reimagine how to work and live in a socially distanced world.

 

I love that this verse continues to say a town built on a hill cannot be hidden. I am not sure if you’ve ever driven through a mountain, but if you have and you look up, you can spot that big beautiful house on the top of the mountain a mile away. Jesus continues to illustrate the example of a lamp in a house. We don’t cover it; no, we allow it to shed light for the whole house.

 

In the same way, the light inside of us – you know, the one that was sparked by God alone, must shine for that the world can see the goodness of God at work in your life. This is why I constantly celebrate both my valleys and my mountain tops. I share my testimony. I hope you share yours. Extend the grace God gave you to others. Serve others as He served you in your life. Become the hands and feet of Jesus.

 

This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine. Let it shine. Let it shine. Let it shine.

 

So take this verse, and remember, you weren’t called to bear the weight of the world; cast your anxieties on Him. Give him your worries. Tell him the decisions you need to chose from and ask for his guidance. When you do that, you can walk boldly in the calling of becoming the light of this world. Your trust is in Him.

 

PRAYER

Father God, we love you and honor you each day. Jesus, we vow to cast our anxieties to the side; we vow to listen to you and your word. You’ve called us to the be light of the world. You’ve called us to be more like you every single day. So instead of carrying all that weighs on our shoulders, we give it to you. Remind us to do this every single morning. God, we want to spread your love. We want to show people the wonders you’ve done in our lives. We give you the control, we give you the honor, and we give you the praise. It is in your Holy Name that we pray, AMEN!