Placing Lights

If you were to describe your life as a light, which might you choose and why?

• A lighthouse
• A floodlight
• 100 watt light bulb
• A flashlight
• A flashlight with dead batteries'
• A penlight
• A bonfire
• A campfire
• A candle
• A spark
• Other?

"Where do you place lights?"

A young lady working in a factory became frustrated with the immorality around her. She went to her pastor for counseling one day and began to tell him how difficult it was to work in a factory with so many non-Christians.

"Pastor." she said, "You lust don't know how hard it is to go to work on Monday morning and hear all the stories about the partying that took place the weekend before."

Her pastor replied, "Where do you place lights?"

The girl, barely hearing the question, rushed on saying, "And you can't imagine how terrible it is work with people who smoke and curse all day!"

"Where do you place lights?" he questioned again.

This time the girls hesitated with a puzzled look on her face and continued on "Pastor, you couldn't possibly know how hard it is to work with a bunch of men and women who come in after the weekend and talk about their sexual exploits and affairs."

Again the pastor challenged the girl. 'Where do you put lights?"

The conversation continued on until the girl stopped in frustration and responded to the question. "Well. I don't know where you place lights--in dark places I guess!" When the words had barely left her lips, it was as if a light had come on, for the girl understood the point her pastor was making. She was to be God's light in the factory where she worked. She left her church that day with a vision in her heart for what she could do to reach her coworkers for the Lord. In the next several months she led several of them to the Lord.

If we are going to win our friends to Christ we must start sharing outside the four walls of the church. If we refuse to tell them about Jesus on their own ground, in the work place and in homes, many of them will never hear the good news of salvation.

Read Matthew 5:14-16, and 1 Peter 2:12.
What common theme is there in these verses?

Matthew 5:1-12 sets the foundation for what it means to be the “light of the world.” Of the 8 qualities listed here, which do you desire most in your life? How might these eight qualities relate to being the "Light of the world”?

• Is your life a light on a hill?
• Do you live a life that causes others to glorify God?
• How might you shine brighter for Christ?

Pray that God might make the following verse true in your life:
"And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit."
- 2 Corinthians 3:18

Copyright 1998 by Ken Sapp