Living in the Spirit
May 31, 2018
Scripture Reading: 2 Corinthians 4:5-12
For we do not proclaim ourselves; we proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord and ourselves as your slaves for Jesus’ sake. For it is the God who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness’, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. –2 Corinthians 4:5-6
When we profess to represent Jesus Christ, we best know him well. How would we feel if someone spoke on our behalf saying things we never addressed and supporting things we never championed in a manner alien to our ways of being?
Jesus even faced his demons immediately following his baptism*. The same ones with which we all must deal: greed, pride, and lust for power. Paul had a life-changing encounter with the risen Christ on the road to Damascus which apparently drove him into the desert** for three years of study/contemplation on what had happened before he started his ministry and he was already a well-trained Hebrew scholar.
If we want to let Christ’s light shine through us, we first need to clean our windows. They not only cannot be crusted in the dirt and dust of our lives, but they also must not reflect through stickers of our own designs.
Prayer:
Lord, the light of your love is shining
In the midst of the darkness, shining
Jesus, Light of the world, shine upon us
Set us free by the truth you now bring us
Shine on me, shine on me
Shine, Jesus, shine
As we gaze on your kingly brightness
So our faces display your likeness
Ever changing from glory to glory
Mirrored here may our lives tell your story
Shine on me, shine on me***. Amen.
*Matthew 4:1-11, Mark 1:12-13, Luke 4:1-13
**Gal. 1:18 Then after three years I did go up to Jerusalem to visit Cephas and stayed with him for fifteen days;
***First and last verse of Shine Jesus Shine lyrics © Mechanical Copyright Protection Society Ltd