Listen

When they heard this, everyone in the synagogue was filled with anger. They rose up and ran him out of town. They led him to the crest of the hill on which their town had been built so that they could throw him off the cliff. But he passed through the crowd and went on his way.

Luke 4:28-30

Think

My four-year-old made a profound statement. I woke her up one morning when it was still dark outside by turning on the lights in her bedroom. She covered her head with her pillow and screamed, “The light hurts when you’re sleeping.”

Jesus woke a sleeping world, and some didn’t like how the light made them feel. But Jesus would keep shining and not stop speaking. He would not be distracted or lose his focus. Fear would not stop him, intimidation would not slow him, and threats would not deter him. Love kept him moving forward.

You, like Jesus, can be light to a sleeping world. And like Jesus, some will not like it if you shine. But Jesus shows us that integrity is more important than likability. So follow your call to speak and let God’s light shine through you. It’s time to wake the world to God’s love.

Ed Stallworth

Pray

Lord, work in me so that others may see you through me. Please grant me the courage to keep my light shining in the darkness. Amen.

Go

Francis Assisi once said, “Preach the Gospel at all times; when necessary use words.”

May God walk with you, work in you, and speak through you because of the life you live.