Sitting in my car in the dark I knew I needed to go home, but I didn’t want to. I didn’t want to face him. That day my world came crashing down. My spouse had confessed to an affair. Needing space, I’d left to talk to a friend and now the light of day had faded. Silently I prayed, “Father please give me a Scripture verse. I need a Word from You.” My screen lit up with the verse of the day.

Matthew 5:12-16 NKJV

¹⁴ “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. ¹⁵ Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. ¹⁶ Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

At that moment I felt like hiding. But a city on a hill isn’t hidden, it is in the open. Pharisees, the religious leaders of that time loved to make a public show of their religious practices to be seen by men. However, this light Jesus described was authentic, and humble, and urged others to glorify God. God got the glory through this authentic light because He was the author of it.

In the midst of darkness and difficulty, light brings hope. Light brings comfort. Light guides and directs. While walking in the dark with a flashlight we can only see a few steps ahead on the path. When the way is dark, we need to cling to God’s Word and obey one step at a time. Faced with uncertain outcomes and the concept of long-term obedience, we can become fearful and overwhelmed living the Christian life. The trouble lies in worrying about the future. Worry is fearing a future that hasn’t happened yet and imagining that future without God’s power in it. We need to focus on today. That is where God has us now. Ask the question, “What do obedience and faithfulness look like today?” Don’t try jumping ahead. Focus on today’s mission and His grace for us in this moment.  

My story wasn’t pretty. I now had a broken marriage that I didn’t know how to fix. I journaled a prayer pleading with God for His help. My future was dark and unknown. I had decisions to make. Would I stay or leave? Could I forgive? How could we move on? Decisions and questions that required a daily working out and prayerful obedience. I didn’t have the answers, but He did.

I can remember years ago standing deep below the earth’s surface in the caverns of Virginia. For one to two minutes of the tour, the lights were distinguished. My eyes were wide open, yet no outline, shape, or pin of light could be seen. It was the most intense physical darkness I’ve ever experienced. I grabbed my spouse’s hand, standing right beside me, trying to keep calm while I felt like the walls were caving in on me. The darkness felt overwhelming, but there was a warm hand keeping me grounded and reminding me I wasn’t alone.

Life can take us to some very dark places but one thing I have learned in the hardest seasons of my life, we are not alone. Jesus walks with us. He holds our hand. Even when we cannot see, His presence is there.

The journey was still scary and unknown, but I could rest knowing that the presence of my God went before me. Through the pain and brokenness, I gave my marriage and healing into the hands of my Father.

As God began working in me and our marriage, I slowly started sharing my journey with others. Each time I chose to be transparent and authentic, others opened up. Many were encouraged to share their burdens. Sometimes we wear a Pharisee mask, pretending we have it all together or only go through the motions. The world needs to see genuine Christian lives. Not perfect lives, but authentic vulnerable ones.

Authentic Christianity can only shine for the glory of God when we are abiding in Him.  

“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. John 15:5 NKJV

When we abide in Him, He abides in us, and it is His presence in us that makes the difference in producing fruit and good works that give Him the glory.

The ability to forgive my spouse and the other woman did not come from me. The ability to acknowledge my sinful contributions to the atmosphere of our marriage and submit those to God did not come from me. It was the inner light of the Holy Spirit enabling me to do what only He could. A work that I can only point to Him with tears in my eyes and say He is GOOD. He is able. He takes the broken and makes it beautiful. This is the God I love. This is the Jesus that changes the world one surrendered heart at a time.

Do I ever wish my story was different? Yes. But it is the story my Jesus gave me. And He is written all over the pages. When our stories point to Him, He gets the glory, and we have the power to light up the world.

Each of our stories may vastly differ, but no matter the difficulty we face, it is the presence of the living God that will shine through us as we walk obediently, abiding in Him.

My friends, whatever story He has given you, wherever He has placed you, be the light.

How can you live your light authentically today?  

Are you ready to tell your story of His grace? The world is waiting to see a life that is genuinely empowered from abiding in the Light of the World.