Bright on Purpose
Well now, friend, I saw you comin’ before you ever reached this ol’ front porch, and I was just inside fussin’ with a stubborn jar lid that acted more mule-headed than any ol’ onery mule I’ve ever met when I noticed the sunlight shift in that way it does when good company is about to arrive. I stepped out to the porch and there you were, bringin’ the kind of calm that settles a place the way a gentle breeze settles a field of tall grass. You know, some folks show up like a noisy flock of geese, but you arrive more like a steady ol’ cow amblin’ toward the barn at milking time, real peaceful and sure. So, pull up a chair, rest your weary bones for a while, and let’s wander into God’s Word together like two good friends followin’ a windin’ country trail that always leads someplace worth seein’.
Jesus said in Matthew 5:14-16, “We are the light of the world, meant to shine like a city on a hill that cannot be hidden.” Friend, that there’s not poetic fluff. That’s sho’-nuff some real marchin’ orders. Light is meant to be seen. Light is meant to guide. Light is meant to change the darkness around it. And Proverbs 4:18 deepens the message by saying, “The path of the righteous shines brighter and brighter.” In other words, the more we walk with God, the more noticeable our light becomes.
A country preacher once told a story about Miss Pearl, a mountain woman who kept a glowin’ lantern in her window every night. Folks said that lantern could be seen clear across the valley. When someone asked her why she kept it lit even when she didn’t expect company, Miss Pearl smiled and said, “Friend, light is meant to be seen. You never know who might need help findin’ their way.” That preacher said Miss Pearl understood what Jesus meant. Light don’t brag. Light don’t argue. Light simply shines, and darkness can’t ignore it.
Believers shine in two ways. We shine through good works, and we shine by proclaimin’ the gospel. When trouble hits, Christians ought to be the first ones showin’ up with casseroles, blankets, prayers, and steady hearts. When folks are discouraged, we ought to be the ones speakin’ hope. When gossip starts flyin’, we ought to be the ones refusin’ to join in. And when someone needs Jesus, we ought to be the ones bold enough to speak His name. Philippians 2:15 says, “We shine as lights in a crooked world.” That’s plum our callin’, friend. Not to blend in, but to stand out.
Father, thank You for the light of Christ that shines in me. Help me live boldly, speak kindly, serve willingly, and shine brightly. Make my life a lamp that points others to You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Alright then, friend, truth has a way of settlin’ into a person’s spirit the same way a lantern glow settles into the corners of a quiet cabin at dusk. When a believer chooses to shine, darkness don’t get the final say, just like a lil’ ol’ rooster’s crow refuses to be ignored on a sleepy farm mornin’. The light of Christ in you can steady a troubled heart the way a tall pine tree steadies the hillside durin’ a storm. And when you carry that light boldly, folks around you start findin’ their footing, the same way travelers find comfort when they spot a warm porch light burnin’ on a long, windin’ country road.
With joy,
Gwen
