Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

-

 Called to be the Light

St. Matthew 5:13-16

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

This passage follows the Beatitudes, where the common phrase Christ emphasizes is “blessed are the…”.  It is understood that blessed are those who love God and purpose to carry out that love to the world in which they are placed.  This is a calling for us to understand that we are blessed to bless.  That is where we can see the purpose of our life is to be the salt and light.
 
We are the salt of the world.  The two main function salt reminds us is it is a seasoning agent as well as a preservative.  When we see the seasoning aspect of salt, Psalm 34:8 says, “Taste and see that the Lord is good, blessed is the one who takes refuge in Him”.  In a world that has a shortcoming or imperfection of taste in food, we are easy to judge and say, ‘Something is off about this dish’.  It is not just right, and that is okay, it reminds us of a life lesson that this world is imperfect, but the more we can look unto God and turn to Him, we can trust that He is good and dependable.  Whatever we try to search in this world, we will never be satisfied, It is only if we taste and see that only the Lord is good that we can learn to be the agents of good seasoning and share the goodness of God with this broken world.  We should never lose our saltiness but be consistent in faith and consistently bless the world around us.  As a preservative, salt is effective only when it comes in contact with meat and fish.  We must constantly be in contact with God and the world we are placed to minister effectively and to lean on God-centered values to preserve this world in the right direction.
 
We are the light of the world.  There are three distinct functions of light and it is to reveal, guide, and shine.  We are called to reveal and call out what is hidden in the darkness and bring to light the injustice of this world.  We are called to teach what is right from wrong.  Along with that we are called to be light to guide others around us in the right direction.  We are also just as much called to humbly shine who God is to us to those who see us.  Our lifestyle choices should be disciplined to godly living to shine in this world filled with darkness.

 

Prayer
Father, guide my life to constantly dwell and be enlightened in You and Your word which is a lamp to my feet, and help me to share Your flavor of love in this broken world, Amen.

Thought for the Day

“I wish not merely to be called Christian, but also to be Christian.”—Saint Ignatius

Rev. Jess M. George
N.E. Region Youth Chaplain

Popular posts from this blog

Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

-
  Constant, patient and welcoming love of God   St. Luke 15: 11-32  V.21: And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ The parable of the ‘Prodigal son’ is one of the most frequently quoted parables that Jesus told His disciples. The parable contains the rich mine of human virtues and emotions. This parable is lived and re-lived in progressing civilizations from time immemorial and continuing. It brings out in vivid detail the pathetic depth of human sinfulness and the glorious heights of God’s forgiveness.      As a story of human nature, fathers are generally merciful to their children in any circumstance. They are very protective and are eager to provide for and secure the lives of their offspring. Jesus is telling this parable to underscore the superlative love of God to His children. The nature of such love is reiterated by Jesus in Matthew 7:11. Humankind wh...
Read more

Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

-
Revelation for Liberation Acts 27:18-26 Sherine Thomas Long Island MTC, NY 20  When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and no small tempest raged, all hope of our being saved was at last abandoned. “After winter comes the summer.  After night comes the dawn.  And after every storm, there comes clear open skies” so said a Scottish clergyman from the 1600s. It’s been said, that hope can sometimes be the most dangerous weapon.  However, it’s sometimes the hardest weapon to carry when you’re living with the loss of a loved one, something that almost feels like a terrible nightmare that’ll never go away.  It’s a weapon difficult to carry when day in and day out no one seems to hear or see those tears that are shed or silent cries that are made during a heartfelt prayer. It’s a weapon difficult to carry as you see your loved one lying on that hospital bed.  It’s a weapon difficult to carry as you search and seek out answers to tel...
Read more

Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

-
PRIESTHOOD: THE ANOINTED MINISTRY Exodus 40:12-16 Bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting... wash them with water. Then dress Aaron in the sacred garments, anoint him and consecrate him so he may serve me as priest (Exodus 40: 12-13). Priesthood among the people of God was a divine command and initiation. God wanted some people to be separated for the special ministry among his people. God appointed Aaron and his descendants to take up this kind of ministry among the people of God. Priests are always separated and appointed as channels that connect God with his people. All throughout the history of Israel, priests played an important role in connecting people with God and to lead and guide them in the statutes of God. But there are incidents in the Bible where the priests failed in their duties and that led the people to go away from God. So the priests have a special and significant ministry to perform in this world among his people. Two important things...
Read more