Sail toward the light!

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Lighthouses have always fascinated me. There's just something majestic and magical about them. The earliest lighthouses date back to the Greeks and many of the ones built during the Roman empire still exist today. Lighthouses were not only beautiful, they saved lives. Countless sailors on dark and stormy nights would have sunk to the bottom of the sea if not for these strategically positioned buildings and their flashing lights to warn the ships of dangerous reefs and cays and the approaching shore.  Some lighthouses even flashed lights in certain sequences which became a code for the sailor to know what port he was close to. So, they not only saved lives but they directed people where to go.

You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Matthew 5:13 NKJ

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I want you to picture yourself a strong and sturdy lighthouse perched on a hill overlooking the raging sea. You have so much light inside of you that it bursts through your windows, growing brighter and brighter as the night grows darker and darker. The wind slams against you. The rain pelts you. The waves crash at your feet. But you are unmoved. You have a job to do. You, just by being there on that strategic hill, save people's lives! You not only save lives, you guide them safely to port.

If you're like me, you have friends and family out there lost in the dark storm, and you want more than anything for them to find the light. But sometimes we can spend far too much time trying to convince them of the light that we let our own light grow dim. How then are they to believe us when we aren't shining ourselves? Sometimes, it's best not to shout, not to convince, argue, or preach.  Sometimes, it's best if you simply stand there and shine. But you must shine and in order to do that, you can't allow your light to go out. 

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I don't know about you, but some days I don't feel very bright. I'm just not altogether convinced I have any light in me at all. But if I am a true follower of  Jesus, He promises to give me some of His light. So, whether I feel very bright, if I am His, I have light.

“I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” John 8:12 NKJ

But the real question is how much light do I have? Like a lighthouse, my effectiveness, my ability to save others, depends on how bright my light is. The brighter I shine, the more people are drawn out of the darkness. What an incredible responsibility!  Yet, more often than not, I allow my light to dim. I neglect it and don't stoke the flames to make it bright

Might I suggest four ways I have found to keep the flames roaring bright and the devil at bay?

1. Read the Bible  Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path. Psalm 119:105 NKJ
2. Stay in the Presence of God  When Moses came down Mount Sinai carrying the two stone tablets inscribed with the terms of the covenant, he wasn’t aware that his face had become radiant because he had spoken to the Lord.  Exodus 34:29 NLT
3. Be filled with the Holy Spirit But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; Acts 1:8 NKJ
4. Walk in Love And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma Ephesians 5:2 NKJ

I know. I know. I always say the same thing! Read the Bible and Pray!  But hear me out. This time, I'm suggesting you do both at the same time. Open your Bible and talk to God while you're reading it. Ask Him to show you great and mighty things that you do not know. Ask Him to speak to you, to reveal Himself to you. Ask Him to fill you with His Spirit daily, which is the source of power for your light. If you're feeling a little dim, change how you approach God, spend more time in conversation over his Word, breathe in His Holy Spirit, and then see how brightly you shine!


For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light Ephesians 5:8 NKJ