Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the
light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness,
but shall have the light of life. –John 8:12 (KJV)
I know of a pastor who several years ago accepted
the call to a church in Alaska. He and his family made the move
and began their ministry. Unfortunately, they only lasted about
two years. Neither the pastor nor his family could handle the
long winters and continual nights. He became depressed and sorrowful
and eventually sought out a ministry back down here in the lower 48.
I could certainly relate to this, because I too thrive on sunshine and
brighter weather.
During these months of winter, there are strategies
we can employ to stay on top of our moods such as exercise and a healthy
diet. Let me add to this the importance of prayer and staying
in the Word of God. When we lack the nicer weather we prefer it
is imperative that we seek the light of Christ in our daily lives.
John 8 relays the situation where an angry mob was ready to stone to
death a woman caught in adultery. They brought her to Jesus and
demanded that He state His views on the problem. They did this,
of course, in an attempt to trap Him, but Jesus confronted the crowd
with their own hypocrisy. “He that is without sin among you,
let him first cast a stone at her (V 7).” The mob, now pierced by
the realization of being unworthy to condemn the woman, withdrew.
Jesus then told the woman to “go and sin no more.”
Following this tense exchange, Jesus addressed any
that remained with a powerful truth; Christ is the light of the world.
Whoever follows Him will not walk in spiritual darkness, but will possess
the light of Christ. As Jesus’ followers, we have the light
of Christ in us. This light can shine in us, around us, and from
us even in the darkest of days. Rather than surrender to despair
and hopelessness, which is so common during these bleak days, we can
instead walk forward in faith. One way we shine the light of Christ
is to reach out in tangible ways to those around us. Helping others
is a wonderful way to beat the winter blues. Hospitals, nursing
homes, and homeless shelters are always looking for volunteers.
Shine the light of Jesus Christ by taking part in such an organization.
There are also those right next door and on our street
who need the love of Christ shown to them. Stopping by to visit
an elderly neighbor can make all the difference to someone. According
to Jesus’ definition of our neighbor, this is anyone who has
a need we are able to address. Becoming so proactive in our approach
to reaching out to others will take us out of our comfort zones, and
it is by such steps of faith we grow and discover peace and fulfillment
we previously did not think was possible. Practice shining the
light of Christ to others and you will find the bleak days of winter
seem brighter.
I spoke with a man I know who is going through a
difficult time. I am going to stop and check on him today and
try to encourage him to stay strong and trust God. Well, what
do you know? My day seems brighter already!
God bless you today.
