Light Bringer

Sermon delivered May 20th, 2021.

Genesis 1:1-4a NLT

1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.2 The earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep waters. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters.

3 Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4a And God saw that the light was good.

Light.

Specifically the sun is such a big part of our lives. It tells us when to sleep and when to wake. It effects are mood, making us happy, improving our health, and giving us energy (and will turn you as red as Bob the Tomato from Veggie Tales if you’re not careful). It controls our days and years. This important part of our existence God simply spoke into being.

Isn’t that crazy?! What’s crazier?! That same power to speak light into existence is also inside of us! Not in the same sense, mainly because everyone would be turning the sun on and off. That would get old very quickly.

He gave us the ability to speak light in a different way. In each and every one of us is the ability to shine light into the lives of others. The world can be so dark and there are people who are having a hard time. It doesn’t take a huge gesture to positively effect someone. We often underestimate the power of a wave, a warm smile, an encouraging word, or a kind deed. Just those actions we think are “small” can shine in to others and brighten their day. Even better, that light shined will cause others to shine light to someone else, and so on and so forth. It’s contagious.

Have you ever had that bad day that started the second you woke up?! You hit your head or foot when you crawled out of bed. The last Lactose-Free milk you love is taken by someone else (not bitter at all). Someone cut you off on the road and all the other things that just annoy and irritate us. The previous was my day about a week ago. By the time I got to my favorite coffee shop, I was done with the day. The guy walked up to my window and I ordered my favorite drink in medium size. He then replied with “Why don’t you get a large?!”. My first thought was he was trying to get me to spend more money. He must of noticed my confused face because he followed up with “I only say that because the person in the car in front of you is wanting to pay for your coffee.”

I mean, I believe coffee has a way of warming the soul anyways, but that coffee changed my day. The coffee itself was great, but it was the act of kindness that the coffee came with that shined on my day.

Something else about this light we have, it works to shine back on us too. I have noticed that even on my worst days, if I speak a kind word or give life to someone else, that light I shined on them shines back on me as well. When you flip a light switch, everyone in the room gets the benefit of the light shone.

Lastly, the unique light we’ve been given can shine on God. When you thank Him for something good, ask for help, or just talk to Him, you‘re shining light on God. Because, that’s what makes God happy. He wants a relationship with us and when we actively reach out, we are calling light to God in our lives.

Being a Light Bringer is an awesome responsibility each of us carry. I do not carry the same light as you and you do not carry the same light as everyone else. Each of us can uniquely call out light in the darkness of our world and in the lives of others, shining hope through all the discouragement and noise. If there isn’t anything else you are intentional about throughout your day, be purposeful with being a Light Bringer wherever you go. You’ll never know who needs your smile, or “hello”, or your unique light you bring into a space.

Thank you for joining us tonight and for the privilege of speaking to you all tonight. God bless and we’ll see you next time!