Proverbs 13:9
With all the large wildfires in the West
lately, something has struck me about the huge resources needed to extinguish
such a fire. Hundreds of firefighters, millions of gallon of water, and a shift
in wind pattern: that is what it take to put them out.
The size of these fires can boggle the mind.
The burn areas cover miles of forest. And after the fire has done its job,
there isn’t much left. A chimney standing here, or a set of porch steps, and of
course black and grey ash.
Compare trying to put out a forest fire to blowing
out a birthday candle. Not much comparison, is there? The candle takes almost
no effort to blow out. Even very young children can do it, with a little help
from a parent blowing over their shoulders.
So it is with those of us who allow the
righteousness of Jesus to shine through our lives. In our world Jesus stands
alone. As our culture turns away from the Truth there will be more and more
opposition. The pressure will rise on the Church to conform to the culture. But
the more pressure there is, the more opportunity for Jesus to shine.
There is a time coming when darkness will
try to reign, wickedness being preferred over righteousness. We see glimpses of
this in the politically correct actions of individuals and government. We can’t
call the Fort Hood shooter’s actions “terrorism,” we must call it “workplace
violence” instead.
The brightness of the Light needs to be
allowed to shine through. In fact, if it shines, it will be impossible to hide.
But the little flicker of the wicked easily passes from view.
Just as the wildfires are difficult to
extinguish, so it is with the Light of Christ. If it is easily extinguished,
then it isn’t Christ’s Light. Political movements come and go. Governments rise
and fall. The Truth shines. When we are the source of the light, our energies
and creativity pushing an agenda, then the flicker will pass.
Whose light are you shining? Yours or Christ’s?