Light in the Darkness

It's an odd time to be alive here in the U.S. We have a worldwide virus causing fear, an election that still has yet to be fully resolved, a nation divided by name-calling and opposing ideals. It's not like you can escape it. Every time you even take a peek at the news, you see it. Emotions are running high. People speak before thinking. Or maybe they do think, but anything posted or quoted comes across as glib or uninformed. What we say cannot be erased sometimes. It's forever saved. Be careful then what you say.

How should we as Christians live? We have the high calling to be light in an ever darkening world, to proclaim Christ, to tell others that this life is not all there is. We cling to the hope found in Christ, knowing He is sovereign over every nanosecond and every corner of the world is under His control. For some, this brings dread, for others disdain, but for those who love Him, comfort. 

How others respond is not something you have control over. Remember your life before Christ. You were indifferent at best, likely repulsed by a message of your sin and need for repentance. What was it then that changed your heart and your mind? It was the Holy Spirit moving upon your heart through the preaching of God's Word, the Bible. You heard the gospel, and you believed, faith given to you by a Holy God. It was nothing within you. It was not cunning speech. It was not clever devices. You weren't tricked into believing. It was thoughtful. Maybe as a child you believed because your parents told you to, but at some point, faith becomes your own. Not every child who grows up in a Christian home continues in the faith of their parents. It is probably easy to rattle off the names of those you thought might be true believers only to see them walk away. The Bible tells us they never truly believed. Those who belong to Christ can never be snatched away. There is great comfort in that.

As you live each day, you must remember who you are. You were not saved because you were better. You are not anyone important. Christians are a bunch of nobodies. We come from every nation, culture, economical status. The only thing we have in common is Christ and the universal reality that we sin. 

So, as the world seemingly tears itself apart, don't forget who you are and why you are here. This world is full of people who have lost all hope. They see fear on every side. They need a message of hope. Christ is King. He saves. He will accomplish His good will. Show those you come into contact with daily the hope found only in Christ. It is "in Him we live and move and have our being." (Acts 17:28)