What do you look like? Not your physical appearance, but who you really are. Are you loving, kind, and patient with others? Are you a joyful person? How about peaceable, faithful, gentle, and self-controlled? Or are you ugly in your inner person?
“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:14-16 NIV)
Jesus says that we are the light of the world, that our light cannot be hidden any more than a city built on a hill can be hidden, that rather than covering it up, His light in us should illuminate everyone we come in contact with–not to bring praise and glory to us, but so others would see it and glorify our heavenly Father. Yet how can we reflect something we do not have? How can we get this kind of light?
There is a very special kind of hummingbird that looks quite plain–simple and dull–when you initially look at it. Yet when it turns toward toward the sun, its unimpressive greenish brown feathers turn a most amazing shade of intense and beautiful jeweled ruby pink! I wouldn’t have believed it, except that someone posted a video of this little bird doing just that and I was able to see it first-hand!
This is just one more example of the forethought of our Creator God. Our Heavenly Father really is amazing! Who would have thought He would–or expected Him to–build so many object lessons into His creation for us!!!
And just as this little bird is nothing without the light, so are we without the light of God’s Word and the righteousness He works in us through it when we trust Jesus and commit our destiny to Him. When we stay away from the Bible, prayer or church, because we’ve made ourselves too busy or are simply not interested enough to do it, we too become dull and unimpressive, and certainly without any light to shine on ourselves much less anyone else. But when we soak up His words of light and truth, then–wow!–what a difference there is! There is then something in us for us to shine outward to others.
Knowing our God and Savior seems to be going the way of the dinosaur in society at large. If you talk to people at work, in school, on the street–people have heard of God, maybe they’ve been to some church, and they probably have a lot of misinformation–but they don’t KNOW God. Knowing OF Him isn’t the same as KNOWING Him. Simply existing isn’t the same as turning your face to the Light so He can transform you throughout your entire being into His creation, something genuinely beautiful.
Remember what Jesus said:
“Make them holy by your truth…” (John 17:17a NLT) “…Your word is truth.” (John 17:17b)
The miracle of transformation can only happen when we immerse ourselves into the Word of God. Without it we will forever remain our ugly, dull, unregenerated selves!
Dear Lord,
Transform us into the beautiful creatures You intended us to be in You! Amen.
