By David Faust
Kevin Schmidt has an interesting job. Every six months, the South Dakota resident climbs a 1,500-foot communication tower to change the red-flashing lightbulb at the top so aircraft won’t run into the tower. And you thought it was hard to decorate your Christmas tree!
How many climbers does it take to change a lightbulb? One, if he’s brave enough.
“You can’t beat the view,” Schmidt told a reporter, “and there’s no greater sense of peacefulness than to be 1,500 feet in the air by yourself.”
If you think it takes a lot of moxie to climb that high, imagine what it’s like to step down from heaven to earth, as God did in the form of a baby. And when that baby grew up, he made a bold claim: “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12).
What Does Light Do?
Light reveals and guides. We use flashlights to find lost items. In operating rooms, bright lights help surgeons see what they are doing. For centuries, some lighthouses indicated danger and others showed ships how to find the harbor. Psalm 119:105 says, “Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.” Without God’s guidance, we stumble in the dark. The lenses of culture, politics, and social media are not clear and bright enough to show us where to go. Scripture, though, reveals how to love others, from preborn babies in wombs to aging seniors in nursing homes. It helps us understand our identity as male and female. It clarifies what marriage is meant to be. It shines a bright light on sins like racism and the abuse of power.
Light heals and brightens. Most plants thrive and grow when exposed to light, but they wither and die in darkness. Doctors use lasers to heal nerves and fix cataracts. Light heals in other ways, too. It cheers people up and conveys a message of welcome and celebration, which is why we put candles on birthday cakes and the Statue of Liberty holds a torch in her hand.
Light alerts and awakens. When I was a boy, my dad would flip on the light switch in my bedroom to wake me up in the morning. Sin lulls us into spiritual slumber and apathy, but God’s truth wakes us up and alerts us to the Father’s will.
Despite Satan’s efforts to extinguish it, God’s Living Word still “shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” (John 1:5).
Whose Life Are You Brightening Up?
The Light of the World calls us to reflect his light to others (Matthew 5:14-16). Are you a bright spot in your school or workplace? Do your attitude and actions brighten up your neighborhood? Do you know a shut-in who needs a visit, a struggling friend who needs encouragement, or someone far from God who is gripped by spiritual darkness?
When admirers told Mother Teresa how much they respected her work in Calcutta, she responded, “Stay where you are. Find your own Calcutta. Find the sick, the suffering, and the lonely right there where you are—in your own homes and in your own families, in your workplaces, and in your schools. You can find Calcutta all over the world.”
Thanks to Jesus Christ, we don’t have to walk in darkness; and we don’t have to climb a 1,500-foot-tall communication tower to make the world a brighter place.
Personal Challenge: Consider how you will let your light shine by reaching out to someone in need. Begin praying for a friend, neighbor, family member, or co-worker you will invite to join you for a meal during the holidays or accompany you to a Christmas Eve service at your church.
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