Illuminate: To light up.
This word has been on my mind. Working with women in pain means I spend a lot of time hearing about dark places. My heart has always been to illuminate those places with the heart of God. To give hope where hopelessness reigns and to offer peace in a place of despair. I want to be that light bulb that is burning brightly uncovered.
Imagine a single light bulb, sitting on a pew by itself, it remains dark. It must be plugged into the source of power, and then someone has to turn it on. I have always wanted to reflect the light that filled my heart the day I asked Christ into my life. But I had no instructions. I didn’t know how to remain plugged in. As I reflect on my Christian walk, in the beginning I spent a lot of time trying to polish the outside of my light bulb in order to make it shine. Of course, this will not cause it to illuminate a room. I thought that if I made my life look clean and good, that would point others to Christ. My motives were good, but the method was less than effective.
One day, my light was stepped on, I was sure there would never be any light to share. Part of the recovery process was picking up the pieces and placing them into the hands of God. He used His word, wise counsel, and loving friends to help put the bulb back together. But the greatest gift of healing was to discover that illumination was not my job. I could not do it. The only thing I needed to do was stay plugged into the Lord. I had to stop striving and start abiding. Though this approach seemed passive and counter-intuitive, it made all the difference. Daily, I must choose to obey and turn the light on so the power of God can illuminate the place He has me.
A willing heart to go where God calls and do what He asks me to do is what caused my light to shine. It sounds so simple, and yet there are so many dark bulbs crying out in the darkness. I wish I had the example of other bright lights as a young believer. I wish someone would have shared the good news that my polishing, and the exhaustion that went with it, was not what God required. No matter what shape our bulbs are in, the Lord can use it to shine His light of truth into a dark place. Get plugged in, obey, and let God shine brightly through you everyday!
