WHY DO WE HAVE LIGHTS?

I heard someone at WE WILL GO talk about lights the other day. The person reminded us that the purpose of lights are to push back the darkness.

As followers of Jesus, we are called to be light in the darkness. That doesn't mean that all of us lights should stand around with all the other lights admiring how bright and pretty and shiny we are. We are supposed to go to the dark places and bring God's light to those in need.

Yeah, I know that we who have plenty of money often buy candles and lamps and light fixtures because they are pretty and sometimes we don't really need them, we just want to add them to our already lit decor.

But that's not why God made us to be light.

He made us to be light --- not just for our looks, but to be used in places desperate for Him.

Places like Jackson, Mississippi.

All too often, in church circles, you hear people saying "oh, we can't go there, it is too dangerous" or "it is just too bad". Really? I mean, I understand using Godly wisdom and even the disciples at times left situations because the people weren't listening, their lives were in danger, and God wasn't finished with them yet.

So I'm not saying that we should just recklessly throw caution to the wind and just go wherever and whenever without first making sure that's what God says we should be doing.

What I am saying, though, is that far too many Christians are doing everything they can to avoid danger, even at the risk of the world dying without hearing about Jesus and receiving the ministry it so urgently needs. Far too many of us are lights staying inside very safe, sturdy coverings. But as the Bible points out, no one lights a lamp and then covers it up so the light can't be seen.

And God didn't bring us out of darkness so we'd just stay inside our nice, safe church walls where our light can't reach those who need us.

People like those living in inner-city Jackson.

Today, yet another person in the We Will Go neighborhood was killed by violent means. I don't know where this particular person stood with the Lord, but I do know that there are other people being killed, committing suicide, or dying from overdose in Jackson --- people who are not walking with the Lord. People who are trapped in rebellion against the Lord. People who are captive to addictions. People whose lives have been trashed by bad decisions, decisions that are taking them down paths strewn with violence and destruction.

Please pray for others to say "yes" to God's call to minister in and perhaps even move to those areas of Jackson in need of God's light. And pray for those of us who have said "yes" that we will be able to move soon.

They and we are never promised tomorrow. And because of that, we need to get that light out there where it is so terribly dark.