(Article written By Jon Craddock)
You don’t have to look very far to find evidence of the dark and evil things taking place in the world today. We are inundated with it in the news, in books, on social media, and in so many other forms that we consume daily, which can be overwhelming. There is so much darkness, strife, and struggle, that it has become the norm. It is difficult to see so much ungodliness and despair and feel helpless to do anything about it.
It can be easy to watch on with a mute apathy and ignore the problems and issues around you, especially when facing challenges and issues of your own. Bills piling up, stress and pressure from work, struggles in your relationships, and countless other things can so easily consume your focus and make you feel bogged down and stuck.
But God has not given you or me anything He has not also given us the ability and wisdom to handle. He will not allow anything to come into our lives that He has not put within us the capacity to face, endure, and to experience victory over and overcome by faith. No matter what you are facing trust God. Trust God when you don’t know, trust God when you don’t understand, and know that He is working things out for you. God will make all things work for the good in your life. It might not feel good to you in that moment, but it will prove to be good for you over time.
Amid the challenges and adversities of life, don’t run from the problems you face, and don’t hide from adversity. Shine, and let the light of God within shine through you. God has prepared you for challenging situations and problems. He has prepared you to shine as a light in the world. God wants you to shine brightly in the midst of this world of darkness. You were built for this moment and for this time. Your victory in times of trial can be the light of hope someone desperately needs.
God did not save you just for you. He placed you here for a reason. There is something within you that is greatly needed by those around you. You are light and the light of God shines in you. God has placed you where you are most needed, but He did not place you without thought or purpose.
“14 You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house.” – Matthew 5:14-15
God has placed you on a hill so you can be seen. He places you on a high point so that those around you can’t miss you. He is going to do something in your life and with you, that others are going to see, so don’t hide your light, your Christianity, but instead be that person that God can speak to and use to help others. Just as He sets a door before you (Revelation 3:8), with the opportunity presented with it, He places you in an obvious place so that others have the opportunity to receive Jesus and have their relationship with our heavenly Father restored.
The world is filled with darkness, God wants you and I to choose to be light and pierce the darkness with the light of His love shining brightly through us. It’s time to let the God in us shine forth so that others glorify God and come to receive Christ Jesus, God’s dear and precious Son. And through Christ , the salvation of their souls. You may be the only bible some people see, the only example of God that will be shown in their lives, so He (God) is going to elevate you so that you can be influential to those around you.
When God elevates you, you will face challenges, difficulties, and difficult people, but do not respond as the people of the world does. Instead, let the Spirit of God lead you, and when they see how differently you handle tough situations, how you have peace when others have anxiety and stress, how you have joy when by all accounts you should have sadness, they are going to see the goodness of God and His presence in you and glorify God.
“In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that[a] they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” – Matthew 5:16
Live a lifestyle of obedience and righteousness and look for ways to respond as Jesus would so that those around you are influenced by your lifestyle of righteousness. Ask yourself, “What does Jesus expect me to do?” in every situation and circumstance. As believers, we should strive to live up to His expectations, not the expectations of others or our own expectations that don’t align with the word of God.
This is an area in my life that I am continuously working on and seeking the Holy Spirit’s help and guidance. Before I was saved, I would often build up unreasonable expectations for myself by trying to meet what I think the expectations of others may be and using that as my measuring stick instead of the word of God. Unsurprisingly, if I let myself fall back into this old habit, I fail short of those expectations. If you measure yourself by the measurements or expectations of others, you will always come up short.
Don’t compare yourself to others or use the expectations of others as a measuring stick, but instead compare yourself to who you want to be, who you are supposed to be, who God has called you to be, and work towards that every day. Compare yourself to the word of God, to the plans that God has for you, and yield control of your life to Him. Cease relationships with people and things that distract you and pull you away from God. The wrong mindsets and faulty thinking can cause you to look to other things for guidance and keep your focus away from God.
You don’t have to be God’s best, but you do need to be His servant. When you yield to God and eliminate those relationships and things that pull you away from Him, His light will shine in and through you, showing others the way.
Writing this article has helped me reflect on how far I have come in my relationship with myself and God. I pray that it also helped to encourage you. Keep an eye out for my next article, where I go cover “Transformation; Being Led by the Spirit.”
The information expressed above are excerpts from the sermon “It’s Time To Shine” preached by Dr. Lee A. Simpson. You can listen to the message in its entirety on our
YouTube channel.
Jonathan Craddock is a licensed minister at Faith Clinic Christian Center Church and has been a dedicated Christian and follower of Jesus Christ for over 12 years. Jon enjoys taking deep dives into scripture and learning all he can about God, faith, and walking with Jesus.
Jon Craddock is a writer for the Blog “God & Gospel: Faith for Life.” His vision is to help people understand and apply the messages from the sermons they hear and grow in their relationship with God.
