Pastor’s Corner: “My Lighthouse”
Growing up, one of my mom’s favorite things to paint was lighthouses. I remember taking summer vacations to the Oregon and northern California coasts. On those trips we would drive on the windy roads along the beautiful shoreline and try to see who could spot a lighthouse first. We would then stop and my mom would take pictures that she would later use to paint from.
As young as I was, even I could appreciate the beauty and architecture of the different lighthouses and their designs. While we can recognize and admire the aesthetics of lighthouses, we often forget that they were designed and built for a very important purpose – to guide ships to safety and save lives.
I think this often happens in our walk with the Lord. We can be so inwardly focused on what God can do for us that we forget that we are given gifts from Him not for ourselves but to bless others. We are Blessed to be a Blessing! Matthew 5:14 (NIV) – 14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.
Does it seem important to you that Christ calls us what He called Himself? “I am the Light of the world” (John 8:12). “You are the light of the world” (Matthew 5:14). Servants of Christ shine with His light in a society that is hopelessly lost, left to itself. Just like the lighthouse, God gives us His light (the light of Jesus) to shine to guide and save all that are lost. While we can appreciate the beauty of Jesus in others, we cannot forget the purpose.
Matthew 5:14-16 (MSG) – 14-16 “Here’s another way to put it: You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We’re going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don’t think I’m going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I’m putting you on a light stand. Now that I’ve put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you’ll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven.
We are light keepers, and our bodies (these temporary dwellings) are lighthouses! What’s my most vital job, besides simply loving God with my whole heart? It is loving my neighbor by shining Light and speaking Truth other’s lives. It’s keeping the light lit in my heart (staying powerfully connected to my Father through his Word and prayer) – the Bible says, “Understanding your word brings light to the minds of ordinary people” (Psalm 119:130 CEV) – Psalm 119:105 “Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path” (NIV)
We need to shine His light as brilliantly as we can – making sure the lenses of our lighthouse (the body that has been loaned to me) are kept pure, clean, polished, never blocking the light. Jesus also told us, “The eye is the lamp of the body.” (Matthew 6:22) and that we are to watch what enters these lenses. What goes in is what will come out. Evil will cloud our lenses and dim the light.
What is the number one job of a light keeper? To make sure the beacon never, never goes out!
In His Grace,
Pastor Hamilton