A Little Spit Shine and Elbow Grease

By Lori Gasca - Speaker, Author & Mentor

Have you ever seen a foggy headlight on a vehicle?  Did you know, in most cases, the light still works as good as ever but the cover has gotten all smudged up.  With a little “spit” and some elbow grease, you can clean that cover up and the light shines bright as new.

I have been pondering how my life can be a light that shines more brightly for Him and the past few mornings as I have been sitting and reading the word, I have been drawn to several passages mentioning “light." 

“The Lord is my LIGHT and my salvation whom shall I fear?” Psalm 27:1

“For it is you who LIGHTS my lamp; the Lord my God lightens my darkness” Psalm 18:28

I do not have to DO anything to be a light except accept Him as my Lord and Savior. Then, HE IS MY LIGHT.  It is not because of what I AM but because of what HE IS.  However, just like a dirty headlight, what I do to keep my light “cover” clean determines how brightly HIS LIGHT can shine through me.

“For my iniquities have gone over my head; like a heavy burden, they are too heavy for me” Psalm 38:4 “My heart throbs, my strength fails me and the LIGHT of my eyes - it also has gone from me” Psalm 38:10

When my iniquities (sin, misdemeanor, wrong doing) cover my life so deeply that it has gone over my head and I become burdened down with the weight of it, not only does it hurt my heart but it removes the LIGHT from my eyes and His light no longer shines brightly through me. The light inside me never loses its brightness, I have just dirtied up the cover so it doesn't shine like it can.  I lose that luster and brilliance that is present when I keep my face turned toward Jesus and reflect his radiance.  It's never a problem or issue with the light source.  I just have to keep the headlight cover clean so the full brightness of HIS LIGHT can shine.

How do I keep my “cover clean?"

*Daily time in the word of God.  Nothing replaces reading His word.  Bible studies, devotional readings, journaling, praise music…all of those things are wonderful but they do not and should not replace reading the word of God and hiding it in my heart so I might not sin against Him. (Psalm 119:10)

*Be quick to forgive as the Lord has forgiven you. (Colossians 3:13) Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. (Ephesians 4:32) The longer we hold onto unforgiveness, the dirtier our cover becomes.

*Confess your sins when you know you have done wrong. In big and little offenses, make them right quickly.  Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me (Psalm 51:10) so your light can shine brightly through me.

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. Matthew 5:16

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