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Share the post "The Importance of God’s Light in Our Spiritual Growth "
The inside of my house in Florida gets a lot of light. Although I don’t have many indoor plants because, well, cats, I love that I could have more because there are windows everywhere. And, unlike most of our neighbors, we keep our shades up during daylight hours. Letting God’s light shine on my plants so they can grow reminds me to let His light shine in my heart as well, so that I might grow in my relationship with Him. Here are some ways to let God’s light shine in your life so you can flourish.
Follow the Light
“When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, ‘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, NIV).
Imagine yourself lost in a dark cave. You need a light to find your way out, but you don’t have one with you. It’s a little scary not being able to see anything. How are you ever going to find your way out? Suddenly you see someone with a light up ahead. They approach you and offer to share the light.
What are you going to do? You can’t have light for yourself unless you take the offered light. In the same way, you can’t have God’s light in your life unless you choose to follow Jesus, the Light of the World. Let Him hold His candle up high so you can clearly see which way He wants to lead you.
Let God’s Light Shine Through His Word
“Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path” (Psalm 119:105, NIV).
Knowing God’s Word is a light, let it illuminate your life. If we kept the shades in our house closed all the time, the light could not reach our plants. They would wither away because they need sunlight to survive. Likewise, we need the light of God’s Word to grow. Psalm 1:2-3 (ESV) says, “but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.”
We must let God’s light shine through His Word into the dark places of our hearts in order to flourish. Study it, meditate on it, let it change your heart and your actions.
Shine God’s Light with Others Who Follow Him
“But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:7, ESV).
Have you ever been in a dark stadium or arena where everyone shines the light of their cellphone into the darkness? It lights up the whole place. We are better together. Our lights can have a greater effect on the darkness if we shine them together. Meet regularly with other people who follow God’s light. Support each other, challenge each other, and encourage each other to keep your lights shining brightly.
Share God’s Light Where There is Darkness
“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden” (Matthew 5:14, NIV).
There’s nothing like seeing light when you’re in darkness. We’ve been through several hurricanes and tropical storms in Florida that took out our power. It really gets totally pitch dark. The first thing we want to do when night falls is light a candle or a lantern or flashlight. The best thing we can do for people who are living in darkness without Jesus is share the light we have. It doesn’t diminish the light inside us; it causes everyone’s light to grow brighter.
Listen to a short segment of this Abide meditation based on Matthew 5:14. Let God speak to your heart about letting your little light shine.
God’s light shines into the darkness, and the darkness cannot overcome it. We grow, we flourish, and we help others flourish when we let God’s light do its work in us. Dispel the darkness with the light of Christ.
Let Abide be your daily companion as you seek to share God’s light with a dark world. Our more than 1500 biblical meditations all exist to help you know God and make Him known. Download the app and start a premium subscription. This will gain you access to our entire library of content. Use this link for 25% off.
Stephanie is the senior editor for Abide. She and her husband live in Orlando, Fla., as do their three adult children and one adorable grandson.
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