Christmas Lights

I have had a lot of Christmas lights in my life lately. I put up the lights on our house. A church group went to Murray and Benton, KY to see lights last Tuesday. Tara wanted to go to Martin to see the lights at the University of Martin, and my kids play a game to see who can find the most Christmas lights while we are driving at night. So I have had my fair share of Christmas lights. The Bible calls us to be lights in the world (Matthew 5:14-16). In fact, verse sixteen says, “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”

Can Christmas lights teach me anything about this passage? When driving at night, the darkness can almost seem overwhelming. We use headlights and street lights to help us see the road and where we are going. The same with Christmas lights. I may not know there is a house or barn there because of the darkness, but they become very visible when decorated with Christmas lights. The spiritual parallel would be that those of the world who are walking around in darkness (sin) might see the things we do for Jesus and be able to see Jesus. Ultimately, we hope they glorify Him by turning to Him to be a child of His and shining their lights in this dark world to impact others. That is a good reminder to watch my words and deeds because the only Bible someone might read is me.

There are some who do not like the lights. The light can be tough to look at when you are used to the darkness (John 3:19-20). Do we quit shining our light because of this? We turn back to Matthew 5:15 and are reminded: hide it under a bushel? No, I’m gonna let it shine. I do not shine it for my glory or pride. I shine it for the glory of God. Take that Christian light of yours and let it shine all the time for Jesus.

Is Your Check Engine Light On?

The other day I changed the oil in my truck. I have had that truck since I was fifteen. My dad would remind me of the importance of changing the oil and, in fact, taught me how to change the oil. As I changed the oil the other day, my role had changed from learning to teaching Noah how to change the oil in the truck.

One spiritual application I take from this incident is that what I am teaching my children, they will one day teach my grandchildren. My dad pressed upon me the importance of taking care of your automobile so it will last longer. I am trying to impress upon my children the importance of taking care of their automobiles. What spiritual lessons am I passing on to them? Am I showing and teaching the importance of a daily walk with God? Am I showing and teaching to treat others as Jesus would treat them? Am I showing and teaching that the Lord’s church is the priority in my life? What I am teaching my kids will probably be taught to my grandkids and so on down the line, as far as the Lord gives us. I am setting pillars for future generations of my family (2 Timothy 1:5).

A second thing that I did recently was pump up the tires on all the automobiles at the house. It had turned cold, and that affects tire pressure. This thought really goes along with changing the oil in my truck, and that is: check your automobile to make sure it has what it needs to run the best that it can. The spiritual application I want to make from this is: examine yourself (2 Corinthians 13:5). Do I need an “oil change” (taking the world out and putting the Lord in)? Do I need some air in my tires? (Do I need some encouragement from the Word to run better for the Lord?) I am sure we could make many more applications, but the gist of what we are saying is: we need to examine ourselves and make sure we are growing in God. Is your check engine light on?

When Upon Life's Billows

I usually call the song, “When Upon Life’s Billows,” “Count Your Many Blessings.” That is funny to me because those seem to be two very different places in life. It can be easier sometimes to realize how blessed I am when everything is going my way but harder to see when things are not going my way. I am reminded of Paul and Silas in Acts sixteen in prison singing and praying or the apostles in Acts five rejoicing that they had been counted worthy to suffer for the name of Christ. Those seem to be times of moaning not rejoicing and singing. Maybe that is what the song is trying to get us to do: change our perspective. Instead of looking at the glass as half empty, we need to see that we have a glass half full.

The song says these things: “When upon life’s billows you are tempest-tossed, When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost. . . Are you ever burdened with a load of care? Does the cross seem heavy you are called to bear?. . . So amid the conflict whether great or small, Do not be discouraged God is over all.” When we experience trials and tribulations in life, it can be discouraging, but we must remember that God is over all and cares for us (1 Peter 5:7). That can be difficult to remember in the middle of the storms of life.

How might we handle these trails, then? The song suggests to: “Count your many blessings, name them one by one, And it will surprise you what the Lord has done.” I do not mean to trivialize your struggles, hardships, and difficulties. We live in a fallen world, and sin has brought many terrible things to us. Even in this fallen world, God blesses us over and over (James 1:17). It might do me well to count my blessings not on just one day a year but every day, even when upon life’s billows.