Light

               Stained glass is captivating and beautiful, so I eagerly took an opportunity for a hands-on lesson (thanks, Groupon!). One afternoon, I learned how to select a pattern and some colored glass, then cut, grind, and solder pieces together until a butterfly appeared. I held it up to the light to see it sparkle joyfully.

               Though I was given a small suction cup hook so that I could hang the new creation in my window, I didn’t trust it to hold. After all, how many times have we all watched those rubbery plastic discs lose their grip? The thought of my glass butterfly crashing to the floor was too much to even consider, so I placed it safely on my shelf. Nestled among books and beach finds, I could admire its beauty safely.

               However, as it sits in the shadows, the once-radiant butterfly has lost its shine. In fact, it’s often forgotten in the landscape of my cluttered apartment. Without light shining through, it became dull and unremarkable. Perhaps the stained glass lost its purpose.

               You probably know where this is going, because we are meant for the light, too. Our very design is that the Light of Christ’s love would shine through us, illuminating the darkness. Our unique traits, flaws, and experiences are like the colors of stained glass, creating a mosaic masterpiece that comes alive in His Light. That’s where we display God’s beauty.

In the same way, let your light shine before others,
that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven,
(Matthew 5:16)

               Yet, how often do we find ourselves hiding in the shadows? Perhaps it’s too risky to step into His purpose for us. Like the possibility of the faulty suction cup, we fear that taking a chance and following His lead might end in disaster. Sure, we believe God, but we’re not confident we hear His voice clearly. We worry that a misunderstanding could lead to a mess.

               Then again, sometimes we don’t fully trust life in the Light. It could expose some things we’d rather keep in the darkness. We don’t want our mistakes and faults available for all to see, so it’s better to keep everything safely tucked away in the low light. I mean, a little light is better than none at all, right? Except we’re missing out on the blessing and purpose that’s found in the rays of God’s marvelous Light.

               Let’s move from the metaphor into real life. What does it mean to live in the Light?

               1. Dependence on the Light source

               We can’t illuminate ourselves. Even a stained glass lamp relies on a light bulb. When we recognize that we require God in our lives, we realize that we can’t achieve our purpose on our own. We can’t share God’s love if we are not filled with it. We need Him, always. That includes time with the Lord in prayer, studying His word, worship, and making Him part of each day.

When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world.
Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
(John 8:12)

               2. Transparency with trust

               Oh, this one is difficult and a little scary. Being vulnerable can be terrifying, and of course, we need to use wisdom to know when, where, and with whom to safely share sensitive things. But being honest about our whole selves instead of only showing the “highlight reel” makes us available to be part of God’s transformative work, both in our own lives and for others. Finding out that someone else struggles like we do gives us hope and pulls us out of the isolation of shame. And that’s just the first step of God’s healing. When we trust God to hold our hearts carefully, we can bravely allow Him to shine His light, restore us, and be part of His compassion for our neighbors.

But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.
(1 John 1:7)

               3. Live in the window

               We can’t hide on the bookshelf of extreme privacy or on a wall keeping our distance from others. We need to be in the open where Light can be seen. That means living in community, investing in relationships, and taking opportunities to be involved with loved ones and neighbors. Of course, this looks different for each of us; introverts and extroverts have many ways to live Light-filled lives. We must position ourselves in a place to fulfill God’s purpose, making ourselves available for anything He has planned.

For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works,
which God prepared in advance for us to do.
(Ephesians 2:10)

               The cool thing about living in the Light of God’s love is that we’re never alone. Besides being with Him, we’ve got the company of our fellow disciples. As we encourage one another, we marvel at the beauty He’s given us. This is your invitation to leave the shelf and come sparkle in the Light. We can’t wait to see Him make you shine.