Sound of Surviving Blog

As Christians, we are not only called to live in the joy of salvation, but we are also called to live our lives in such a way that proclaims our joy of salvation.  The God of the universe called us, as meager as we are, to go and make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:19). It’s not easy to live out loud for God in a world full of darkness and imperfection.

We often find ourselves grumbling about having to do things that we should see as blessings, like having to go to work. But if we labor for Christ and not for men, if we work in such a way that we are serving Him in all we do, we will be rewarded for our labor. We will get to one day hear those precious words, “Well done, my good and faithful servant”. To me, that is far better than any earthly reward or praise we could ever receive.

If we focus on what God says is important and stop worrying about what the world tells us is important, our joy will only multiply in size, because we realize that we live for a Lord who is so powerful that nothing is impossible for him, or for us, that we can do all things through Him. After all, he did overcome death! When we are children of God, our joy in Him can never be lost. Satan will try to steal our joy, to taunt us with suffering and loss and darkness. Don’t ever give in to that.

There are others around us facing the same evilness as we are, who don’t know God. We are called to lift one another up, out of the pit of darkness, because everyone falls sometimes (Ecclesiastes 4:10). God has called us to stir up one another in love and good works (Hebrews 10:24). When live out loud and let our light shine on Jesus, not on us or the world around us, we do just that.

We should live in such a joyful way, even amidst the darkness, that others will want what we have- A joy and a hope in Christ, salvation. In a world so dimly lit, spilling over with maliciousness, we need to be the light. If not now, when? If not us, then who? There’s a quote I love from William J. Toms: “Be careful how you live. Your life may be the only Bible some people will ever read.” Matthew 5:14-16 reads, “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 thatthey may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” When we live out the lyrics, “This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine;” Encouraging others for Christ, and sharing his love and his word, can only strengthen us more. We are the light of the world. It will start a fire in our souls. Now go out there and shine for Christ.