The Light of the World
I recently replaced the light bulbs in our bathroom from fluorescent back to incandescent. I admit the fluorescent lights were cheaper to operate and gave out more light. The incandescent lights are more expensive to operate and give out less light. So why would anyone switch to the latter?
They don’t have to be replaced as often as the fluorescent bulbs which supposedly last for years. These fluorescent bulbs are more expensive and they simply don’t last as long as promised, hence, my reason for returning to the old-timey bulbs. This new light for the world has not been the light I expected it to be.
We live in a time when the original light of the world, Jesus, seems dim in comparison to the lights of modernity. There are people and places that appear to brighten our days and our lives in the here and now. But, let me assure you, they are nothing like the real light, Jesus. You may think these people or things are the answers to all your problems or situations. They are not.
The daily talk shows, either on television or on the radio, are not the answer to your issues in life. The self-help books are not the only way to get your life back on course, albeit some can help in limited ways. Attempting to look like or trying to replicate the lives of actors and actresses in Hollywood is not the answer to issues in your life today.
The only genuine and real answers to the issues you are facing in life today come from God in three persons—God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Add to this God, the word of God, the Bible, and you have the best answers to the issues you face in life each day.
Over the course of the last year I have replaced the headlights on my car twice. When my mechanic installed the new ones recently, he told me that one of the new bulbs did not work. I learned that the “new” bulbs had been recalled because they were defective. No wonder I’ve been replacing them far too often. I am thankful that my light, God, has not or will ever be recalled.
You can’t recall or repair something that is perfect. And I assure you, I will never replace my God with another god or light. He is the one and only light of my life.
There is not a day that goes by that we do not allow something else or someone else to take the place of our Lord in our lives, albeit temporarily and regretfully. But my dear friends, our goal must always be to work at making sure Christ is the center of our lives and the source of our light in this world.
The only way that Christ shines in this world is through you. If you substitute Christ with another form of light, that light will seep into the lives of others and bring them down along with you.
The Bible is clear, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven,” not Satan.
Newer is not always better. God has been, is, and always will be the best source and most affordable light for our lives.