Being surrounded by the presence of a mixture of beautiful trees deeply rooted and bearing such rich fruit and trees of the same size, yet bearing bitter tasting fruit is a strange feeling. The reason for the word "strange" and not "bad" is because it is an unexplainable feeling. I can't even call it bittersweet because it is not good or bad. It is a feeling of being stretched, being able to empathize, being able to sympathize, being able to serve, being able to love; in the truth of the word of God, Paul the apostle calls us to be lights of the world in Philippians 2:12-18 right after speaking of the LIGHT of the world. This refers back to when Jesus calls us all to be the light of the world, made to shine in Matthew 5:14-16. What does it mean to be a light of the world? And to tie light's partner in crime in this; what does it mean to be salt of the world?
"You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet. 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 5:13-16 ESV
To be a light is to shine, to be noticed, to be radiant in brightness. To be a light is to be impossible to be unnoticed because a light that shines its brightest will cover up all darkness. It will be greater than any darkness when it is at its highest potential. Salt is pure and is made to be salty. We ought to be salty, if we are not, we are of no use. If we are not aiming for holiness, what are we aiming for? Jesus says in John 8:12 that we are light because he is THE LIGHT of the world and when we bear witness to him, his light will be in us. It is by the holiness of Christ, the absolute, undeniable perfection of Jesus Christ that we are put in stewardship to be a light; to shine. It is because we've seen his compassionate heart to heal the invalid, his forgiveness towards the Pharisees for challenging the plan of salvation, his grace extended to those who came to kill him, his humility on the cross while being mocked by those he came to save, his loving sacrifice for generations after generations of undeserving people, and yet still the glory in the Father's sovereign plans in our lives that we bear witness to this light, and this lamp unto our feet.
What kind of light shall we be then? Over and over again I read in 1 Thessalonians as Paul exhorts this Thessalonian church, "walk and to please God, just as you are doing, that you do so more and more.", "have been taught by God to love one another, for that indeed is what you are doing to all the brothers throughout Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers, to do this more and more", "Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing." More and more, you're doing it, but do it more and more and more. Why? "This is the will of God, your sanctification"(1 Thessalonians 4:3). " Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." (1 Thessalonians 5:23) That we be without blemish. Without blemish. SPOTLESS. WITHOUT BLEMISH.
When God calls us to be humble, he doesn't say be humble when you're comfortable to be because surely Jesus was humble even when he was not comfortable to be. When he calls us to love, he says love until it hurts and keep loving until it hurts because it is in my will for you to undergo affliction for the sake of the glory of my name. And surely, as affliction comes, God is the God of ALL comfort(2 Corinthians 1). Yes, you have been humble, yes you have been loving, yes you have held on tight to your integrity, yes you have been sober and been children of light, children of the day, yes you have been bearing richly tasting fruit, just as you are doing, that you do so more and more. Because God says, I expect more. This is what you ought to do. Because you only get to be a light that bears witness to my name because I have graced you with life. It is because of me, so now it is up to you.
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