BE THE LIGHT
“Walk as children of light” (Eph. 5:8)
I was greatly embarrassed during a popular tradeshow for the music industry. I was on my way up an escalator, and about 50’ across the room was an escalator going down. There was a young man, a stranger to me, who saw me and yelled at the top of his lungs, “Hey, Mr. Farley, why is it that every single time I see you, I think of Jesus Christ!” That was a strange experience, but I wasn’t offended at all. Maybe at times, Jesus is revealed even in the humble likes of yours truly.
Speaking of the music trades, years ago, I had an idea for a musical instrument accessory that would eventually be sought after worldwide. The idea was to market a pre-existing, battery-operated book light, but call it The Musician’s Light. The clip-on feature made it ideal for music stands. All musicians need extra light at one time or another, but all they had to choose from, at that time, were age-old, clunky, plug-in types. (Google it 😊 Mighty Bright Musician’s Lights). That was many years ago, but the lights are still in demand. The back-lit iPads are slowly doing away with the need for music stand lights, but hey, that’s life! Thanks be to God for good ideas!
The cordless, clip-on idea took off, and to this day, it benefits perhaps millions of musicians – not bad for my family either. A favorite bible passage says that “All good and perfect gifts come from above”. Thus, I thank God for the ‘light’ concept all of the time. It seems apropos, to me, that Jesus used the metaphor of ‘light’ often. He not only said that He had come as a light into the world, but He also said that Christians are the light of the world. My life’s daily work became taking lights to musicians, but as I travel and interact with people, I am reminded that ‘I’ must ‘be’ the light.
You and I are called to be light, ‘shining’ his life and character in the darkness.
- How can we live and love like him today?
- How might our words and attitude be filled with grace and kindness?
- Will people see you and me and think of Jesus?
I pray so for you and me.
“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16)
“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” (1 Peter 2:9)