August 27, 2026 - Out in the backyard not long ago, I saw some, as we always called them “lightning bugs.” Suddenly, in my mind, I was about five or six years old again and trying to catch them and put them in a jar. I remember that one of the big challenges of those little bugs (some call them fireflies) was that their light didn’t last very long and they were hard to find when their light was out. Well, that made me think about what Jesus said in Matthew 5:16. He was telling his followers, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”
That brings up another question. What kind of light am I? Is the light that I shine for the world to see the intermittent, fleeting light of a lightning bug? A match will give you light for a moment, but usually goes out before it does any good. A candlelight gives a faint light but is easily obscured. A gas light gives a bright light but may be blown out by the wind.
When I think of the kind of light, Jesus wants us to have, I think of the great lighthouses on the rocky sea coast. They stand tall, their light shines bright and it is easily seen. Moreover, their light warns of the rocky coast and at the same time serves as a beacon to the safety of the harbor. Is that not what we are to do as Christians? Warn a world lost in sin of the dangers of being lost and at the same time serve as a guide to lead the lost to Jesus? What kind of light are we?
It’s something to think about... tbp
Center Church of Christ
www.centerchurchofchrist.com
