Christmas Lights

Our family recently went on our annual Christmas season vacation. We stay home during Spring Break and Summer, letting others have the steaming weather and heavy crowds. We prefer the "low season," with few people, many birds, and the delightful fun of seeing how others celebrate the Christmas sesason.

During the daytime, the decorations were slightly pretty, but nothing extraordinary. They all blended into the scenery pretty well. But at night, some of them just took our breath away! What a difference a little power switch made. When the Christmas lights were shining, it was truly like a "Winter Wonderland"_©. It made all the difference in the world.

Aren't our lives like this? If we blend in with the scenery, have the same attitudes of nonbelievers, the same foul language, participate in the same entertainment pursuits,wear the same immodest clothes (and the Bible does speak clearly about dressing modestly) etc., there is no discernible difference. We just blend in. But if we let Christ's light shine through us, we will look different, and we will be different. Our attitudes will be different, as will our behaviors, our dress, our checkbook entries, our relationships - all the things that reveal our hearts. And we will MAKE a difference in our worlds. Let's all be literal Christmas lights, and not only during the holiday season, but year-round.

Matthew 5:16 (NIV) In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.

Jan