This Little Light of Mine

Mark 4:21
He said to them, "Do you bring in a lamp to put it under a bowl or a bed? Instead, don't you put it on its stand?"

As a child, I was afraid of the dark. Every night when my parents tucked me in and before switching off the lamp, they would turn on a nightlight to comfort me as I fell asleep and to reassure me should I wake up from a bad dream. I loved the soft, ambient glow of that tiny light, so miniscule, yet so potent in dispelling the gloomy shadows and creepy monsters I envisioned lurking in the closet, under my bed, or hovering just outside my window. When I would awake in the morning to a room drenched in sunshine, the nightlight, so powerfully bright against the darkness, appeared faded and worn, rendered ineffectual by the sun's brilliance; still, its light was precious to me.

In Matthew 5:14, Jesus tells us that we are the light of the world; as Christians, we are to shine the light of His love on those who are shrouded in darkness. So, how is your light performing? Is it as luminous as the staunch nightlight, chasing away the shadows of fear and hopelessness? Do you feel it is somehow inadequate or feeble as a nightlight in the blaze of morning? Even worse, are you hiding that light of yours away from a world so desperately in need of Christ's love?

Know this: No matter how menial or insufficient you perceive your light to be, the Lord can and will use it to further His kingdom. Go ahead! Place that little light on its stand for all to see. Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine!

Readings
Psalms 45 or 47, 48
1 Samuel 25:1-22
Acts 14:1-18
Mark 4:21-34