Laundry Day

Today was laundry day.  Normally washing sheets and towels from about 75 guests would be bad.  But today it was a much needed good thing.  Since it was just me, I was able to spend some time in contemplation on the text from the sermon on Sunday.  I only got to hear about 5 minutes of the sermon because we had to leave for work, but those five minutes were good.  Basically it was about being the light.  Ironically, my last post talked about learning to be the light.  The sermon was about how we are the light of the world.  As I was doing laundry, I was thinking about how I am meant to be the light of the world in my own way.  I know we all have our different struggles and weaknesses, but we are also given gifts and talents.  To not use those talents for the good of the Kingdom would just be a waste.  The verse I was stuck on today was Matthew 5:16 which was part of the text on Sunday.  “In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”  I remember this verse from the church I grew up in.  Each time someone was baptized, the reader would declare this verse over the individual.  I knew at that time it was an important verse, but I never really dug into what Jesus meant by this phrase.

At church Pastor Dean also mentioned during prayer time how one sentence can have so much more meaning than it seems.  One sentence, such as “I’m moving to Colorado” doesn’t seem to be very complex.  But, when you think about it, moving means packing up my belongings, saying goodbyes, loading up all my stuff, making a 14.5 hour drive, moving into a new place with new people, new routines, new surroundings, new everything.  So, naturally, the phrase, “…let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven” has much more meaning than one would see by just looking at the surface. At first look, this verse tells me to be a good person and point to Christ when someone asks why I do what I do.  Pretty simple, right? 

In my study Bible, the author went into detail on how to apply this verse to our culture.  Simple is not the word I would use to describe this verse.  The author described this verse as a challenge to life a life that is luminous with the Holy Spirit, standing out from among culture and society as different and unique, in a positive way.  It is a challenge to have a genuine faith that seeps into everything you do, so that you cannot avoid being a light to others.  We are to look for ways to serve others in our families, communities, at work, at the gym, at Wal-mart, everywhere.  We should serve them out of love and compassion, reflecting the humility of Christ in our actions and pointing them to His love, mercy and grace, and ultimately the cross.  But, once again there is more.  If we are going to be pointing to Christ, then we have to be prepared to give a reason for the hope that we have in Him (1 Peter 3:15). 

Sometimes, all we want is to tell someone about Jesus.  To tell them how amazing it is to live in His freedom and love, daily turning to Him for guidance in our life and daily seeking to know His heart more and more.  But, before you can get to that, you have to be practical.  I learned the practicalities of serving people through the few mission trips I have been on.  Before someone who is starving will accept the truth, we need to feed them.  Before a homeless person with minimal clothing will listen to your testimony, you might want to give them some warm clothes and buy them a meal.  Before you try to tell someone about the Lord’s faithfulness, you might want to get to know their story and how they lost all trust in others.  There are many circumstances that we must serve in a practical way before we try to tell someone the Good News.  This serving may take five minutes, five days, five months or five years.  Only God’s timing is perfect, and waiting on Him will provide the best opportunity to tell someone about Christ’s love, after showing them through service.

I think this nugget will be put to use many times this year.  Whether it be a co-worker, a guest, someone from the community or a stranger, I’m sure I will run into plenty of opportunities to serve others.  Considering it’s my job, I will have plenty of chances at camp to serve, some with believers and some with nonbelievers.  But regardless of the circumstances, genuine service and compassion can’t really be learned.  Sure we can learn to treat people nice to their face, but what is going on inside our hearts?

 

“Let love be genuine.  Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good.” Romans 12:9

“Out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks.” Luke 6:45

Is my light a genuine love for others?  Is what comes out of my mouth a reflection of my heart, and if so, is it what I want the world to see?