Living 4 Him

“Let your light shine before others that they may see your good works and glorify your father in Heaven.”  Matthew 5:16

I once read that the mountain where Jesus gave his famed sermon  overlooked Lake Gennersaret.  The lake, shaped like a bowl, served as an amplifier when the winds blew downward, carrying Jesus’ voice to the crowds spread out over the hillside.  Jesus’ voice echoed his important words to thousands of attentive ears.  Put yourself in the right position to hear Jesus’ words for you today.

In Matthew 5: 13-16, Jesus uses two items that people were very familiar with, salt and light, to magnify the purpose and the importance of humans upon the earth.  “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. 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.”

Salt was a highly valued mineral with numerous important uses; to preserve food, to enhance flavor, to fertilize soil and to disinfect wounds for cleansing and healing.  As the salt of the earth we are also highly valued for our holy purposes.

We preserve the goodness God has placed on the earth.

We possess a vital flavor drawing out the very best upon the earth.

We enrich the earth with our presence and help to cleanse and heal the hurts in the world. 

Light was essential to life and quite necessary to help people see.  A light could only be used if it was on display, in the open for others to see.  As the light of the world, we help others see God in this world by displaying what is good and kind and loving. 

Our roles of salt and light hold us accountable.  We want to stay fully seasoned and to shine lights that brighten others lives.  The desire to please God may bring tension when faced with such grand tasks, but remember,  we have the guidance of our constant companion, the Holy Spirit, who helps us execute the plans of our Creator.  Each day, the Spirit leads us to become the salt and the light our world so desperately needs.  Our part is to remember this one word from Jesus: “LET.” 

Let your light shine. 

Let the Spirit work.

Let your life become the salt and the light God has intended.  

The word “let” means we allow something to happen.  When we “let” the Spirit guide and help us, we become who God needs. 

Kimberly Phinney, founder of The Way Back to Ourselves, (https://www.thewayback2ourselves.com/) writes poetry that keeps us in touch with our Maker. She recently published her second collection of poems, Exalted Ground. https://www.amazon.com/Exalted-Ground-Praise-Lament-Living/dp/B0F1X51KPW 

Kimberly gave me permission to share her poem The Art of Becoming.  Let this poem inspire and guide you to new understandings about the Spirit’s continual work in our lives.

The Art of Becoming

by Kimberly Phinney

When it’s time to become,

you must start with a humble somewhere . . .

You don’t know exactly where you are going,

but there is a knowing . . .

so, you follow the path before you.

And soon, there comes this pulling,

a “This way!”

and a That way!”

And you aren’t quite sure

which voice is yours . . .

or who to listen to

among the shadows

and the sun-slits between the trees.

So sometimes you cannot see

which way to go

or which fork or bend

will lead you home.

The path seems clear each afternoon,

then impossible by evening.

Yes, it gets so very dark each night,

as the light drops behind the Earth

and you have your doubts

you wrestle with

—but even still, you persist.

All of this is true

because you are still becoming . . .

and coming home to something . . .

A small smudge on the page,

made into a form

—only the Artist truly knows.

And though you walk the path alone,

you know deep-down

inside your soul,

that you aren’t alone–

“You aren’t alone.”

Your story is taking shape,

as the cold breeze shakes

the leaves awake

–to color.

It’s filling in:

a black line here,

a brush stroke there,

golden hues

and amber leaves

with birchwood trees

to rest against . . .

and down the road

—a home awaits you.

You can see the smokestack now,

just beyond the clearing.

You can hear the voices singing,

“Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound . . . “

And then you know:

Home was within you all along,

as it stretched out far before you,

calling you beyond yourself . . .

And all the while,

in every step you took,

the Artist looked on in love:

“You were never alone, my child–

not at all, not once.”

Reaching in (allowing God’s word to work in your soul):  Discover many more Bible scriptures that begin with the word, “let.”  Let these words work in your soul. https://dailyverses.net/search/Let

Reaching out (taking God’s word into the world):  Use the word “Let” to start your prayers each day.  Here’s one to get you started.  “Let your Light shine through me to the world.”