2 Corinthians 4:5-10 "For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake. 6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us. 8 We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; 9 Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; 10 Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body."
The Christian life brings with it so many wonderful gifts and opportunities. The greatest of these of course is eternal life in Heaven being with and worshipping God. Every day we have the gift of talking to God and learning more about Him in His Word. Think of this. He gave us an entire book about Himself so we can know who He is and how much He loves us.
In 2 Corinthians 4, Paul expressed that God had shined on his heart during very dark days and changed his life. Now Paul was seeking to do the same for others who were living in spiritually dark places. Paul called it a treasure to be able to shine and live out the power of God for others to see. Corinth was a place of open idol worship and extreme wickedness. It was in need of a bright light in the spiritual darkness and Paul was hoping to be that light. He wasn’t going to be destroyed by the darkness. He wasn’t going to live in distress or be confused by what was happening around him. Paul decided to see the opportunities to shine.
Times of difficulty or distress in the world can bring about unique opportunities for Christians to be a light. We live in those times now. It seems like most of the things we hear are discouraging. People are getting sick; many employees are being laid off or are having their hours cut; financial questions are on everyone’s minds; and the “stay home” order keeps us from our routines and many of our relationships. As Christians we can view these things that most people see as discouraging and difficult to be opportunities to shine brightly for Jesus. Don’t become distressed by them. Avoid living in confusion because of them. We may not be able to live like we are accustomed to living, but we can look for ways to pray for our world, country, and state. We should allow our “light to shine out of darkness.” We can tell our neighbors that we are ready and available to help them if there is a need. Now is a great time to do something kind for someone. Send a text or note of encouragement. Take a friend or neighbor something from the grocery store that may be hard to find right now. Of course, the greatest way to shine is to live like Jesus told us to live and love our neighbor.
Though we find ourselves like Paul “troubled” and “perplexed,” we do not need to be “distressed” or “in despair.” Instead of focusing on the challenges around us, let’s grasp the opportunity to shine for Jesus!g. From the Dashboard, you can edit posts and also add brand new posts with ease.
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