Let Your Light Shine: An Introduction

I'm beginning  a series of lessons that accompany my Bible study, Let Your Light Shine. It would be practical to have your Bible handy for these lessons to avoid me needing to type out each passage we reference. This first session is an introduction where we will ponder the concept of spiritual light and cover the what, why, and to whom we should be shining. We will camp on 2 Corinthians 4:6 today, which is rich in truth about our topic:
 
      For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," made His light shine in our
      hearts to  give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.


In one short verse, we see light mentioned three times. Let's explore each mention.


First, we see God said, "Let light shine out of darkness." If you turn in your Bibles to Genesis 1:1-3, we see God's initial intent for light was to dispel literal darkness. Note that these verses tell us the earth was formless, empty, and darkness was over it, until God's spoken word on the very first day of creation. This light has continued every day since. God provided physical light because we need it to see, we need it for the physical health of our bodies, our psyches need it (I don't know how Alaskans do it half the year without light!), and the earth needs it. We have need for physical light.


Now turn with me to Revelation 21:23-24. Here John is describing what the New Jerusalem will be like when we are joining the Lord in eternity. There is coming a time when God Himself will be the physical light we need every day through eternity. We will no longer  have need of the sun and moon because of God's glory shining radiantly. If we can just get a glimpse of this glory shining in us and through us. So, at the beginning of time, there was a need for physical light that God fulfilled by His spoken word. At the beginning of our eternity with Him, there will be a need for physical light that God fulfills by His own glory and radiance.


Let's look back at 2 Corinthians to see our second reference to light. We see that God makes His light shine in our hearts. When God's light is shining in our hearts, His light is dispelling spiritual darkness. This is the light of God that transforms our hearts at salvation. His light exposes sin that is "hidden" in darkness. Turn to and read John 3:19-21. Some avoid the light because they do not want what is hidden to be exposed. Even Adam and Eve, once they entered into sin, ran to hide so their nakedness and sin would not be exposed by the perfect light of God. We too, do this. Who and what do we avoid when we're in sin? We want it hidden, so we may avoid the private lunch with a Christian girlfriend--or at least the intimate conversation with her. Or to avoid conviction at church, we generate a host of excuses, like tiredness or busyness. Light is as exposing spiritually as it is physically. When we're holding things we don't want exposed, we avoid the light.


But, this verse also tells us that when we come into the light, spiritually speaking, what God has done in us is revealed. That's a good exposure! We come into His light by choosing salvation, so that His light is revealed in us as we live out that salvation. Second Peter 2:9 tells us we are His chosen people whom He called out of darkness into His wonderful light--a spiritual light that dispelled a spiritual darkness within us. We have need for physical light, which God provides for us via the sun. We have need for spiritual light, which God provides for us via His Son.

Let me make another parallel here regarding some scientific facts about the sun. In an article by Nick Greene, he explains the gravitational pull of the sun on the planets orbiting it. He says, "So, the orbiting object is trying to move in a straight line, but gravity makes its path circular. If there was nothing there (like the sun), an object would continue to move in a straight line. If our sun disappeared, the planets would all fly off into space." (Documentation available upon request.) I'm no scientist, but this seems pretty straightforward to me. Without God's provision of the sun, chaos would exist in His creation. Just the same, without God's provision of His Son to relieve our spiritual darkness, we would continue on in the chaos of our sin.

This brings us to the third mention of light in 2 Corinthians 4:6. God gave us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God. Once He gives us His light in our hearts to rid us of spiritual darkness, He then, "enlightens" us to who He is that we may more effectively live out His light and share that enlightenment or knowledge with others. What happens to a mind that is illuminated or enlightened by God? Let's see what Scripture says about His enlightenment. We're going to look at 1 Corinthians 2:11-14, although the concept begins in the first chapter. Please read those verses now. If we are a child of God, His Spirit reveals things to us that are not accepted, understood, or discerned by the man without His Spirit.

And why do we need this enlightenment? We are going to cover two reasons. We need enlightenment, first to be a light to the nations. Each of these verses speak to this point: Isaiah 42:6-7, 43:8, 10b, 49:6b; Acts 26:16-18; 2 Corinthians 3:3; Luke 2:30-32; Matthew 28:18-20. God's purpose in graciously offering us the knowledge of the light of His glory is so we can share it. He didn't intend for us to selfishly absorb, but to freely spread the light of His glory.

Secondly, God has enlightened us strictly for His glory. I want to tell you a funny story. As I was trying to write this supplemental teaching, I found the need to escape from the noises and distractions of home to do so. I carefully planned my day of escape to a favorite location where I always find a quiet spot to think...Panera Bread. Laptop and Bible in hand, I pondered sitting in my special corner, certain enlightenment would flow! Wrong! The loudest, most annoying train of people followed me to my corner of Panera Bread. No peace! Part of this train was a family with a little boy about two years old, who apparently was having his nap time interrupted by his parents' lunch outing. He cried over everything you can imagine! He couldn't get his straw out of the plastic wrapper and burst into tears--like not normal tears, but the kind when a kid's finger gets slammed in the door or something. About the time that was under control, he crawled under the table and stood up. You can guess that didn't go well...he was taller than the table. He banged his head, now crying again! Sat down with his soup and just started crying again! His mother then responds, "What's the matter, do you need me to stir it up?" Are you kidding me?

Well, in the midst of Panera Boy's whaling, I text my husband asking him to pray for me because I was about to lose it. His response: "Sorry to hear that, but don't let him dim your light--use it!" Oh wise one! There I sat, with Bible in hand, Bible study notes spread all over the table, staring blankly at a computer screen with an obvious look of irritation on my face, trying to generate thoughts about shining for His glory. Oh, the irony! So, do we shine for His glory when things are glorious or do we shine even when discord and tears of exhaustion fill the space around us? When we reflect His glory, He is glorified. We are a representation of His work in us, to the world around us.

Let's get back to little Panera Boy's emotional state. Haven't we all had days where we could just burst into explosive tears when our soup isn't stirred? I know I have. Now, God created us with the hormones that devastate our moods. There's only so much we can do sometimes. But as we go about our day to day lives, we want to demonstrate that He is in control of us. That means practicing the fruit of the Spirit, self-control. It means practicing all the fruit of the Spirit.

He has given us the knowledge of the glory of God, as our key verse has shown us, that His Spirit may transform us. Too often we live lives where transformation is not apparent. The evidence of His knowledge and enlightenment is not shining through. We miss out on the fullness of His glory. Again, He is glorious and is glorified when we are shining His light. "And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect  the Lord's glory, are being transformed into His likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit," 2 Cor. 3:18. He is the source of enlightenment in us, as He is the source of physical light that shines in the world, and as He sent the source of spiritual light that shines in us. We want to be transformed into that light.

Now, here's the "so what" factor. Because, so what about light from the sun and light in our spiritual darkness, and the light of enlightenment. Here's why I think that Paul presented it in such a way in 2 Corinthians 4:6: without the establishment of the first and second reasons for light, the progression to the third doesn't matter a whole bunch. Let me explain what I mean. See, we must be firm in our faith in the Big God who made the sun shine out of complete and utter darkness with just His spoken word. If He wasn't big enough to do that, then how could He be big enough to save us through His light shining in our hearts? And because He was Big enough to do both of those things, the third mention of light matters--He enlightens us to then shine to the rest of the world, so they can experience the light of the Source of ALL light.

I want us to shine with radiance ladies! We hold onto too many things that cover up our lights. Let's take the next several weeks and look at uncovering our lights that He may be glorified. If you have the book, Let Your Light Shine, then this teaching is an introduction to the book overall. The next posting will be a teaching that corresponds with the first chapter: A Love we Need to Imagine.

Shakin' in My Boots

Last fall, after several years of stumbling through process of writing, editing, and publishing a book, Let Your Light Shine finally hit the shelves (well, at least Amazon, Crossbooks, and any other of "your favorite online retailers"). It was exciting--very exciting--but also super intimidating and my worst nightmare came true...speaking. What I mean is, I was under the impression that if I wrote a study, I wouldn't have to get up in front of people and verbally teach the thing. Self-study was what I was going for. What was I thinking? That just doesn't seem to be the way the times are rolling.

So, by January, there I was, up in front of my Bible study girlfriends teaching the thing! I lost about 8 pounds! In all honesty, I loved my personal study time as I developed lessons to go along with each chapter, but it was the presentation that killed me. I found it much more intimidating than regurgitating and facilitating what other Bible study authors had created. Still gives me butterflies. However, my fear and trepidation has led to a book known by only very few and I do believe the message enclosed is one that the Lord gave me to share.

So, still hiding behind the written page, I've decided to take one small step forward and begin to present lessons from Let Your Light Shine on this little blog. If you are one of my dear friends (and likely you are, if you're reading my blog), and you have a copy of my book, then hopefully these lessons will supplement your reading and study nicely. If you've stumbled upon my blog and don't yet have a copy of Let Your Light Shine, I'd be happy to send you a copy if you contact me at maldo555@yahoo.com. Either way, I pray you are blessed through these lessons and ultimately may you and I "with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, [and be] transformed into His likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit" (2 Cor. 3:18).

Beginning tomorrow, look for regular postings with lessons from Let Your Light Shine. Thanks for reading and tell your friends!

Tis the Season

Tis the season...the hustle and bustle of the month between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Some days on our December calendar have one event overlapping another. But you know what? I am loving it!

Our house has been full of friends and family, and oh what a blessing it has been. God reminded me this week that our fellowship with one another is His gift to us. He designed us for relationship. His desire is that we spur one another on toward love and good deeds (Heb. 10:24). My friends and family have done this for me and it is my desire this holiday season to reciprocate that love.

As you engage in the busiest time of year...stop...enjoy one another. Look at Thursday's cookie swap and Friday's ornament exchange as a time to encourage and love on the blessings God has given you in your friends and family. "Be joyful always..." (1 Thes. 5:16).

Revolve and Reflect

My girls are doing a project on Thomas Edison this week--a fellow homeschooler! Though Mr. Edison obviously led an accomplished life, bettering our lives with his many inventions, in his younger years, he was labelled a "slow learner," prompting his mother to pull him out of school and take charge of his learning herself. Instead of focusing on his inadequacies, she encouraged Thomas's enginuity and wealth of ideas. Thomas didn't allow his life to revolve around negativity; he chose instead to diligently focus on his inventions.

We reflect what we allow ourselves to revolve around. Have you seen the fun Chrisitan slogan: "Be the moon, reflect the Son?" The moon follows the earth in its orbit around the sun, and the light of the moon comes from its reflection of the sun.

When my "orbit" is right, my life is revolving around the Lord and my relationship with Him. When I allow my focus to shift to the worries of today--parenting and homeschool frustrations, the stress of our crazy schedule, my own OCD tendencies--that is exactly what I begin to reflect. It ain't pretty!

Let's face it, our life circumstances may vary slightly from season to season, but there's always some amount of chaos involved. It takes intentional effort to remove our eyes from the chaos and onto the God of order. And when we do, we reflect Him. For me, this requires a shift in my conversation topics (i.e., stop complaining!),  a greater devotion to prayer, a purposeful mood change, and a delving into His Word.

It's not always stress that is competing for my focus, either. Often, it's simply hobbies or things I enjoy that I have allowed to overstep their boundaries. While I believe that God gives us desires for good things and blesses us with enjoyment in them, He never wants those things to overshadow our focus on Him. When they do, we can begin to reflect a spirit of greed, materialism, or selfishness.

When you find that you are not reflecting the light of Christ in your life, take a step back and see what you're revolving around. If your orbit is not around the Son, reposition yourself. A dark world will see the difference!

Pass It On

Sometimes we think we need wisdom beyond our reach in order to witness to or encourage one another, so we sit reluctantly in silence, with a treasure trove of encouragment at our fingertips. First Corinthians 1:17 says we don't need human wisdom, but the gospel.

     For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel--not
     with words of human wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of
     its power.    (NIV)

Share Scripture. God's Word has power and wisdom on its own.

I've often hesitate to pass along a Scripture to a friend in need, thinking the other person probably knows the passage, or it wouldn't speak to them like it spoke to me. I was encouraged by the Lord through a Bible study friend this weekend, though, that I don't need to worry about that. I had been obedient and shared a passage with her that had previously ministered to me when I was in a similar situation. God used His Words to encourage her heart, without any wisdom of mine.

God's Word is active--"For the Word of God is living and active..." (Hebrews 4:12a). The enemy is aware of the power of the Word and doesn't want it activated. The enemy will throw doubt our way to hinder us from becoming an activator. He's the one who whispers, "That's not the right verse," "Someone else has something better to encourage them," "Just wait and see if God really wants you to share that Scripture," "You need some good advice to share, not just a verse."

We don't need great human wisdom. In fact, it can get in the way and may even generate pride in our words over God's, as Paul also warns about (1 Corinthians 1:31). As we make ourselves familiar with His Word, He can use it, through us, to minister to others. Become an activator of the power of treasure of God's Word.

Not My Battle

Christ never defended Himself. Really think about that...


The devotion I read with my girls this morning was based upon that fact and this verse:


              The battle isn't yours. It's God's.
                                                               2 Chronicles 20:15


A portion of the devotion read like this: "Vindication is your attempt to fight the battle yourself, to fix things and to prove yourself to everyone who has you wrong. But God never asked you to vindicate yourself...Jesus never fought to prove himself to human beings. If they misunderstood him, he left it to God to do the correcting." That came from Devotions for the God Girl, by Hayley DiMarco, by the way (excellent!). Wow!


As I pondered this today, I thought of the many times I have never even questioned my right to defend myself-my right to vindication. But, as the author went on to say, my job is to stay obedient, not defend, just like Jesus. I'm hoping my "God Girls" learn this lesson early, 'cause this "God Woman" is still trying to swallow it.


Imagine yourself, even in Christian circles, having been misunderstood in something you've presented, or (I know this never happens with us church ladies, but...) having done something that someone else just simply doesn't like or agree with. Speaking for myself, in angst, I'm quick to want to defend, feeling they must understand my point of view-the "why" for my actions. But if Jesus is my model, I must let people misunderstand me sometimes.


What I need to be ready to defend is the Gospel.

But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer
to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do
this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who
speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of
their slander.                                                                               1 Peter 3:15~16

I think this might even mean church ladies, too. I have certainly been ashamed of my judgements upon other Christian sisters before. And that was God's doing, the Holy Spirit's conviction, not the meticulous defense of the one I was judging.

When we jump onto that defense/vindication wagon, we may be stepping on Holy Spirit toes. We are showing a lack of faith in God's ability to defend us, and we're trying to bring conviction upon another when that is not in our job description.

If our actions that are in question with others are not in question with God, then we need to leave it alone-surrender our right to defend ourselves. Our obedience and alegiance it to our Heavenly Father, not to a bunch of onlookers who will always question and express dissatisfaction in our decisions. "The battle isn't yours. It's Gods."

This is the way; walk in it

     O people of Zion, who live in Jerusalem, you will weep no more.
     How gracious He will be when you cry for help! As soon as He
     hears, He will answer you. Although the Lord gives you the bread
     of adversity and the water of affliction, your teachers will be
     hidden no more; with your own eyes you will see them. Whether
     you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind
     you, saying, 'This is the way; walk in it.'                  Isaiah 30:19~21




This is one juicy passage! "Weep no more...gracious...ears will hear," and the best part: "As soon as He hears, He will answer you." Awesome! But, it doesn't seem like He answers me as soon as I cry for help. Huh?! What do we do with passages like this, that don't seem to match up with life's realities? In fact, if you look closely at the Lord's message to Israel, through His prophet Isaiah, you'll see that the Lord can be the source of adversity and affliction.


Here is my most humble commentating on what is currently one of my favorite passages. In its context, this message is directed to a disobedient Israel and the Lord has promised that after His discipline concludes, His blessing will be restored. So, they are being told directly that their adversities and affliction are coming from the Lord-discipline. You know, Israel is not the only disobedient child of God. And so many times, I don't think we recognize God's discipline upon us. Not all affliction is God-induced, of course. But on the whole, I think we fail to view His discipline as His discipline. Instead, we take it at face value as affliction, then when our prayers don't make it go away, we think He hasn't answered.


See I think there's a big connection between "cry for help," in verse 19 and verse 21, "Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, 'This is the way; walk in it.'" When we cry for help, and we're in the midst of God's discipline, we are going to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit in us telling us the way to walk. That's His answer. What gets us all huffy is when we're not hearing our own desires and expectations from His answer.


His grace, as verse 19 tells us, is being poured out by His attentive ear, His answers, and frankly Him not obliterating us! As a people group, I think we live in a state of entitlement. He might be God, but we expect Him to behave for us. Grace! Grace! God's Grace! That is why He hears, why He answers, and definitely how He disciplines.


Let's look a little further. Verse 22, although slightly disgusting, says, "Then you will defile your idols overlaid with silver and your images covered with gold; you will throw them away like a menstrual cloth and say to them, 'Away with you!'" He is entitled to expect certain things, and what this tells us is that after we've been instructed the way to go and to walk in, He expects us to heed to the discipline-throw our old way of doing things away like a, well, you know-the disgusting part!


God's discipline is purposeful, not vindictive. I want you to see, so let's venture to the verse just before this passage. Verse 18 tells us, "Yet the LORD longs to be gracious to you; He rises to show you compassion. For the LORD is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for Him!" Beautiful! His graciousness is the only way we make it through His justice. We must begin to examine our affliction and adversity to see whether its roots are in Godly discipline. If so, listen closely for that voice behind you telling you the way to go!

Always~Never

What's the point of a telling a good story without an

                                            ..."always" 
                                                                and a
                                                                           ..."never"

                                                                                         thrown in every few sentences?

Yes, the X chromosome has mastered the art of always and never (otherwise known as-exaggeration!). Those two little words elicit edge-of-your-seat suspense when recounting an otherwise average story, don't they?

We are in good company, ladies! We happen to serve a God of extreme words. The pages of Scripture are brimming with His extremes, although never with exaggeration!

          "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who
                 love him, who have been called according to His purpose."       
                                                                                       Romans 8:28(NIV)

         "Rejoice in the Lord...
                                          always.
                                                I will say it again. Rejoice!"  Philippians 4:4 (NIV)

          "So this is what the Sovereign LORD says: 'See, I lay a stone in Zion...
                                  a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation;
                                                   the one who trusts will never be dismayed.'"
                                                                                               Isaiah 28:16(NIV)

          "I have set the LORD always before me.
                                        Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken."
                                                                                                Psalm 16:8(NIV)

Life is extreme and I need a God who is not wishy-washy about His commitment to me. But, hand-in-hand, He is a God expectant of extreme commitment from His followers. As His follower, I want to "set Him always before me," for He is my light.

Always is somehow a word that becomes too extreme when it's in reference to my responsibility, isn't it? In fact, just yesterday I begged the Lord for a day off from always. I didn't feel well, I was grumpy, we had some unexpected issues arise with our children, and I just wanted to wallow in it without reproach! The irony is, what I needed most was my Lord always before me. I needed, "I will never leave you, nor forsake you" (Joshua 1:5). I needed, "Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you" (1 Peter 5:7).  

Always encompasses the hum-drum days as well as the extremes of life. We can rest assured, however, that despite our inadequacy with always and never, the Lord is really always true to His word. In His infinite mercy, "His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is His faithfulness" (Lam. 3:22b-23). May we walk today, and all the tomorrows to come, with Him always before us!