Let your light shine!

"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." -Matt 5:16 (NASB)

God is good, all the time. We know that. Every day when I look around, I see not only all of the joys and wonders He has brought to my own life, but I see it in other's as well. Even when a situation does not seem ideal, through the eyes of Christ we can see so much potential to how He can work in a situation that may seem lost- but is only waiting for Him to be exalted. I have been blessed lately in being able to witness to a couple guys I know. One of them is a self proclaimed atheist, the other a gang member. Now, those may not seem like the type of people I should be talking with, but why not? The question arises: are we the Church or not? Jesus Himself said that it is not those who are well who need a physician, but those who are sick. He also said that He did not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. (See Luke 5:31-32 & John 3:17) The best part about all of this is that I really have not had to force myself upon either of one these men, in a sense- they are coming to me. Yes, I may have made the initial moves, introduced myself as a Christian, and asked a few probing questions- but that is because I have learned that 9 times out of 10 they will not come to us, we must go to them!

When approaching situations like these, obviously the first part is to stay keen to the Spirit and let Him lead you. What works for me may not work for you, and vice versa. Plus, every situation is unique and should be handled as so. However, there are three things I have discovered over time that are key to strong witnessing. These are: building relationships with those you are speaking to; sharing your own personal testimony; and finally, making sure you are walking the walk you proclaim. Relationship takes time, be patient and not pushy. Sometimes I don't even discuss God with nonbelievers, I just"talk" to them as a person. No one knows your story and how you came to Christ better than you. Do not be afraid to share your testimony, Jesus both commands it and He is behind you all the way (Matt 28:18-20). Finally, the world is watching. In a time when Christians are constantly under the microscope of unbelievers, your light must shine like never before. I am by no means saying to be perfect, that's impossible. Rather, be transparent. People are not looking for perfection, they are looking for what this world is desperately lacking- openness and genuine love. John reminds us in his first letter: "If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; but if we walk in the Light as He Himself in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin." -1John 1:6-7 (NASB)

With all of this in mind and by staying true to my personal walk with Jesus, I have a great opportunity to plant some good seed in the good soil to both of these men. So far neither one of them has been hesitant to my speaking. In fact- they both receive it sometimes and challenge me in how much I really know. I see these as positives because the more they engage in conversations like this, the further they are pulling away from the world. Can I stop them from making the wrong choices? Maybe, maybe not. But I am also seeing conviction on their part, realizing that they are not on the right path and that there may be a better Way out there. Yes, there is a better Way, for all of us- His name is Jesus. Trust Him today with your life, the lives of your children, and let Him use you to be that lampstand on the hill- shining more brightly than ever before!

Ariel and King Triton

"The royal daughter is all glorious within the palace; her clothing is woven with gold." -Ps 45:13 (NKJV)

Every little girl dreams of being a princess- saved by the prince in a castle from the dragon. Countless books, songs, cartoons, and movies have been written with this familiar theme. My daughter is no different. A few years ago she wanted to be Ariel (The Little Mermaid) for Halloween, and she wanted me to be her father- King Triton. As much as I wanted to be a royal merman with a long white beard, only one of us dressed up that night. I will admit, though, we have had plenty of times when we have played this game at home- climbing over furniture and building castles in an imaginary kingdom.

Today, I am writing to you dads that have your own little princesses at home. She may be 2 or 12, maybe she is all grown. The fact of the matter is that these dreams never die within our girls, and even as adults- they still want to know that they are princesses and that their daddy will protect them. For some of us, getting into a silly game or acting all goofy may be foreign. Maybe you and your daughter's relationship is past those type of days, but is she still your little girl? Your princess? Jesus tells us in Matthew 18:3-5 and again in Mark 10:14-15 that we ALL are to humble ourselves and become like the children in order to receive God's kingdom.

As I've mentioned in previous blog posts, our world is one that is quickly devaluing girls' impressions of themselves, as well as a sound family structure over all. Dad, you carry tremendous weight in determining who your little girl turns out to be, and how she perceives herself. If you are already involved in her life and constantly build up her self esteem- keep it up! If it's been a while since you've told your daughter how beautiful she is and how much you love her, now is the time. Jesus is our ultimate example of love. Continue to spend time with Him every single day, developing that all important relationship with your Father so we can continue to grow as godly ones ourselves.