Let your light shine!

 

Recently we exchanged all the of light bulbs in the kitchen.  We have used the same lightbulbs for years and heard bright-white bulbs might be more beneficial.  We loved our yellow lights, or what we called soft white lights.  The bulbs functioned and we did not see a need to change them.  

Cooking requires a certain amount of light to read the recipes and ascertain the right amount of ingredients.  The 60+ watts gave us the light needed to get the jobs done.  However, the ‘new’ white or daylight bulbs were on the market.  We thought we would give them a try.  Yes, they have been on the market for a while.  Yes, we are slow to change.  What really pushed us was the cost savings with the LED lights.

So, one afternoon my husband and I purchased all new bulbs and proceeded to replace the old ones throughout the kitchen.  The kitchen has a dimmer on the light switch to add ambiance when needed.  When we first turned the new lights on I stepped back in horror.  They were so bright that I had to push the dimmer switch all the way down. 

What did we do??  It looked like an operating room with the bright lights glaring back at me.  And if that wasn’t bad enough, any dust in any corner of my kitchen was glaring back at me as well.  Seriously? 

After immediately turning down the lights to the lowest setting I contemplated exchanging the lights back to the warm glow we originally had.  We decided to give it some time and see if we could get used to the ‘glaring’ difference.

You know what?  We did eventually get used to the bright lights.  After a week or so, the glaring difference didn’t seem so harsh and slowly I began to turn up the dimmer until one day I realized I had it completely on and the bright lights just seemed normal.

Imagine that?

Have you ever been around a Christian who seems to ‘shine’ brighter than you are used to?  It is almost blinding or overwhelming.  

However, it is also captivating like an insect is drawn to a light.  We are drawn to The Light.  We are also drawn to other’s lights around us.  Some people shine brightly for the Lord like a lighthouse beckoning others to come.  Others are a warm light welcoming people to sit and stay.  Each of us has a different light.  God made us each different.  That doesn’t mean one is better than another.  Both warm and bright lights work equally.  Both function as they should.  It is a matter of what we are used to.  As long as our light shines for Jesus.

Some people go to a church and there is quiet hymns playing and they feel comfortable.  However, if they walk into a more charismatic church and the music is louder, they may feel out of place.  Does that make the other church wrong?  No, it is just a different way to worship.  As long as the foundation is correct, the lighting doesn’t matter. 

The music doesn’t matter. 

The seating doesn’t matter. 

What people wear doesn’t matter. 

Remember that next time you meet someone who seems to shine brighter or less than you do.  They are shining for Jesus.  That is all that counts.

After our kitchen experiment, we also decided to change the bulbs outside next to the garage and the front door.  Yes, I went through the same shock again even though I knew this time it was going to be brighter.  The difference was the outdoor lights did not have a dimmer so we had to get used to the bright lights all at once.  It felt like someone was shining their headlights in our house for a bit.  But again, we did get used to them.  Change is hard.  But change can be good. 

If you are a warm light, try hanging with some bright lights this week and embrace the change!  If you are a bright light, sit quietly with a warm light and learn from their experiences.  Remember to have patience as others may shine brighter than you.  It doesn’t mean it is wrong, it is just different.  We each shine differently.  As long as we shine. That's all that counts! Praise God for that!

Matthew 5:14 NIV

You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.

Matthew 5:15 NIV

Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.

Psalms 119:105 NIV

Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.

Matthew 5:16In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

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