Connected in The Word 2-2-26
You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. Matthew 5:15-16
What do people think when they think about you? What do family members think? What do coworkers think? What do neighbors think? I don’t want you to dwell too long on this question or even think too deeply about it. After all, I’m guessing most of you have grown out of the self-absorbed everyone is thinking about me adolescent stage of life. The truth is, at any given moment in time, most people are not thinking about me, you, us at all.
In one sense, I don’t really care what others think about me. I can’t control what other people think and so I don’t spend much time worrying about it. On the other hand, what other people think about me, at least to some extent, is derived from interactions I have with that person. We are relational people and the interactions we have with one another are part of what make us human and are one of the great gifts of life! This brings us to the verses above.
Jesus says that we are the salt of the earth and the light of the world. My interactions with people matter. It doesn’t matter who you are interacting with or what kind of interaction it is (face to face, phone, text, social media) – The Creator of the Universe has called you to be salt and light! You have been called to love, forgive, show mercy, build up, encourage, and shower others with grace as you faithfully fulfill your vocations in life. THIS BRINGS GLORY TO GOD! You don’t need to live in the darkness or live a tasteless life. God has forgiven all your sin. Jesus has rescued you from the darkness. The Spirit has filled you so that you might sprinkle others with the Gospel!
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