Keep Your Light Burning

"No one lights a lamp and then covers it with a bowl or hides it under a bed. A lamp is placed on a stand, where its light can be seen by all who enter the house."

Luke 8:16

How

Have you ever thought something like, "There's nothing I can do to help or change this world. I couldn't tell others about Jesus or anything like that. No way!" I've thought this many times. "I can't make a difference, I'm just a kid." Then I came across a verse from 1 Timothy: "Don't let anyone think less of you because you are young. Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity." (1 Timothy 4:12).

I can make a difference, and so can you! Our theme verse, Luke 8:16, ties in perfectly with 1 Timothy 4:12. We must shine Jesus' light for all to see: "...where its light can be seen by all..." Not only can adults shine His light, but kids can, too. You. You can shine bright for Jesus. But how? How can you shine bright and make a difference?

Making a Difference

The point of this blog is to give you examples on how to shine bright and remember, the Bible, God's word, is our guide. None of this is my idea. I get this all from the Bible because I'm not perfect. Anyways, there are a lot of verses that tell us how we can shine Jesus' light. In verse 17 of Luke 8, we read, "For all that is secret will eventually be brought into the open, and everything that is concealed will be brought to the light and made known to all." (Luke 8:17) Here is our first way to shine bright. This verse is telling us that every sin, secret or not, will be found out. The easiest way to avoid that, is to not sin, but we humans, are not capable of this. Any 'good' we do, is not us, but the Holy Spirit working through us. Pray. The first way to shine bright is prayer. We can't do anything without God. God is our provider. Without Him, we can do nothing good because we are sinful. Back to Luke 8:16, Jesus, (He's the one who's speaking in this verse) commands us to shine His light. To tell others about Jesus and His salvation. Does that sound hard to do? Ya, I get it. Spreading Jesus' light is another way to tell people about Him. I'll be writing more about how to do this through this blog, but to start, simply pray. I know it doesn't feel like much, but it can make a difference, a huge difference.

Make a Difference

Shining bright is not only a job for adults. You can shine bright and spread His light as well. We were given the job, as Christians, to tell others about Jesus and His salvation. Shining His light is another way to do this. Shining His light means to be different from others, forgiving others, honoring your parents, and a lot more, but for right now, I want you to pray. Ask God to let His light shine through you. Thank Him for what He has given you. You can do it! If you really don't know what to pray for, look up Matthew 6:9--13 and pray Jesus' prayer. Remember, try to pray for others, more than yourself, and remember to glorify God's name. He deserves it! Start shining bight today simply by praying. Praying whenever you can. Keep your light burning. Make a difference.

Live it Out: If you're stuck on what to pray for, here are some tips: Start by praising God. He's Almighty and deserves your praise. Next confess your sins to God. Ask for forgiveness for your sins. Third, thank God. Last, end your prayer by asking God to be with you. Ask God about anything you need, strength, wisdom, kindness; it goes on and on. Finally, end your prayer by sealing it with Amen.