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Sunday 10 January 2010

LET YOUR LIGHT SHINE

People celebrate all kinds of accomplishments - some truly worthy, some extremely crazy and bizarre, and some quite mundane indeed. Consequently there is no end to the array of celebrities, many of which one will be hard pressed to identify any worthy basis for.

What should people celebrate about you? What is the true worth of your life? The true worth of one's life cannot be estimated by the extent of the wealth amassed. Having the wherewithal is important - “money answers all things” (Eccl.10:19b), but not an end in itself. Its importance must be defined strictly as a means to an end; a lesson which the man in Luke 12:20-21 failed to learn when he chose to build larger storage for his wealth, rather than be rich toward God.

Jesus identified true life’s worth and that which is worthy of celebrating when He said:
"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." (Matthew 5:16)

Your true worth is in manifestation when you let your light shine through your good works in such a way that people are compelled to “glorify your Father”. Our light shines when we get on board with God’s agenda, dream the dreams that God has for this world, and become co-workers with Him in touching lives. That is a massive challenge - the challenge to live a worthwhile life!

The love of Christ in our hearts ought to constrain us and compel us to let our light shine. That’s the main thing!

The life to be celebrated is captured in the words of George H. Morrison who wrote in one of his devotionals: “All life is service. We must serve to live”. If you are not serving, you are dying. The good that we do with this life which God has been gracious to bless us with is the main thing. So then, we must learn to serve, for to serve is to live; or as the Apostle Paul put it, “To live is Christ...”!

Let God celebrate you! Let your light keep on shining! And don’t become tired of doing good! This appears to be the thought behind a prose that was inscribed on the wall of Mother Theresa’s room at her Home for Children in Calcutta, which reads:
People are often unreasonable, irrational and self-centred. Forgive anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives. Be kind anyway.
If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies. Succeed anyway.
If you are honest and sincere people may deceive you. Be honest and sincere anyway.
What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight. Create anyway.
If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous. Be happy anyway.
The good you do today, will often be forgotten. Do good anyway.
Give the best you have, and it will never be enough. Give your best anyway.
In the final analysis, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway.
Light has come but some people will chose darkness. Be a blessing and let your light shine anyway!

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