Living Life in the Light

In his autobiography, Benjamin Franklin tells of the time that he wanted to convince the citizens of Philadelphia to light the streets at night as a protection against crime and as a convenience for evening activities. But this was one time Benny couldn’t get the jets behind him. He could not convince his neighbors by his persuasive words and speeches.
So Mr. Electricity went about with a different but incredibly wise tactic. He modeled it by example by making sure his home did not stay in the dark. He bought a lantern of excellent fashion, proceeded to polish the glass and placed it on a long bracket that extended from the front of his residence.
Every evening as soon as there was a hint of darkness, Franklin lit the wick. Those who shared the street could not ignore the warm and inviting glow emitted from the front of his house. People who just happened to be passing by could not just keep walking. They recognized that the light made a difference in keeping them from tripping over the stones in the roadway. It wasn’t long after that the copy cats came out of hiding.
Lanterns began appearing everywhere. Eventually Philly was bright and beautiful and crime was down and movement was up. Why stay in the dark when you had options? This friend displays the truth of the old adage that sometimes truth is better caught than taught.
Samuel Johnson wrote, “Example is always more effective than teaching.”
Albert Schweitzer said, “Example is not the main thing in influencing others. It is the only thing.” Children are learning from their parents; students are observing their teachers and the world is watching us Christians. What are they seeing?
If you long to mentor and really make an impact, it takes much more than just spouting information. If you want the crowd to wake up and take notice, you must be an advocate of transformation. You can’t impart what you don’t commit your heart and soul to fully.
What made Jesus so different than the rabbis of his day was that the Lord didn’t just preach sermons; he also practiced the lessons. Even those who didn’t follow him could not just ignore him.
He was the greatest force to be reckoned with because Jesus led with love. It is easy to give ourselves up to God because he already laid it all on the line for us.
I have been preaching through the Book of Ephesians on the weekends at The Lighthouse Church.
In Chapter 5 and verse 1, we are commanded by Paul to be imitators of God. Literally we are to mimic the Lord. But to do so is not an outside exercise as much as it is an inside job. You see, the key to pulling this command off is totally tied into your willingness to not just read about God’s love but to surrender to him and let it fill your heart.
If you expect to be what you on your own can’t be and if you want to obey God and do what you are not naturally equipped to do; you have to step out away from the crowd and commit your ways to Christ so you can live out your days in Christ.
Who you love determines how you live and you can’t show others God if you have never let him love you in the first place. If we are to be like the Lord, you need his power to pull it off.
You can’t do it in your own ability any more than I can. You can’t just grit your teeth and grunt lots and muster up all your courage to do Christianity.
You have to let his love rescue you from your own “lostness” so he can redeem you to become a child of the living God and then enter into a genuine relationship with him as the love of your life. Those who have been rescued become rescuers.
Those who have been redeemed long to see others saved. Those who are devoted to Jesus walk in a whole new direction. This is why if we desire to see others to stop lingering in the dark, we have to display what a believer living in the light of God’s love look like. 
Little kids who have a dad that absolutely adores them don’t have to be reminded to live like they are loved for they are already basking in the results of that kind of nurturing. Like the popular question of the day inquires, “Who’s your Daddy?”
If you want to have a faith that forces others around you to face the fact that God’s love makes all the difference, then you need to live in the security of your Heavenly Father’s love. You can’t be a child of the Light if you wander aimlessly as an orphan in the dark. The one connection that can never be compromised is the flame that only burns bright when we are dependent on the fuel that flows when we love God first with all of all of us.
Come on Church, it is time to get serious. If we don’t want our culture to make a joke about us, we need to do a little less teaching and a lot more lighting up the night.
Information is useless without inspiration that morphs into transformation. So next time before you start lecturing on the positives of Christianity- make sure you are coming through loud and clear by simply following Jesus.
Let’s fill Cape May County with holy lanterns that will convince those who are presently stumbling and fumbling in the dark that this is no way to build a life.