This little light of mine …
I’m gonna let it shine …
My faith in the future of followers of Christ (of all genders) has been recently bouyed from an unexpected situation that initially brought darkness like a sucker punch to the gut.
So, a situation occurred where one Christian leader (who happens to be male) made a comment about another Christian leader (who happens to be female), that she should “go home”.
It was a sad, unfortunate, unnecessary and head shaking comment that made the souls of many mourn for the darkness that fell with the words.
In my mind, I kept hearing these Jesus words:
“In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33
- life as we know it is not fair … to expect anything else is to be living in a false reality
- Jesus has already won the battle of good vs. evil, of love vs. hate, of joy vs. sadness, of light vs. darkness
We cannot forget …
life is not fair and
Jesus has won the battle
… then the responses began … responses of support for the woman (for all women), responses of a call to action, but also responses of a theme of victimization and hate.
My stomach lurched, my head shook, the darkness grew.
Christians were posting, and blogging, and preaching …
anger, and frustration, and defeatism, and victimization.
But …
Christ was not one to cry out poor me for the injustice he was experiencing, he was not a whiner, he was not a hater. When he was arrested and his follower Simon Peter retaliated and sliced the ear of a high priest … and how did Jesus respond?
“Jesus commanded Peter, “Put your sword away! Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given me?” (John 18:11)
Jesus went to the cross, because that is what he had to do to save the souls of his people … that was his calling, handed down by his own father.
And our calling is to follow in his footsteps … and guess what it’s gonna be messy, it’s going to hurt, we are going to be victimized, we are going to have trouble … that we are guaranteed in his word and in his practise.
BUT, we are also
more than conquers.
While other Christians have now spoken about the pointless words and of her gender-related victimization, she (the one who the comment was directed toward) has responded in confidence of her calling and in grace, remembering that our calling is to “honor God, (and) let’s move on.”
“The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overpowered it.” John 1:9
She just kept doing what she does, focusing on the goal, focusing on the calling, focusing on the prize … as is our example in Christ as women and men who follow his leadership.
“The enemy taunts us with whispers like, ‘You’ll never be free. You’ve tried a hundred times. You go back every time. You’re hopeless. You’re weak. You’re a failure. You don’t have what it takes.’ Every one of these statements about you is a lie if you are a believer in Christ. You do have what it takes. You have Jesus – the Way, the truth, and the Life. But you can’t just believe in Him to be free from your stronghold. You must believe Him. Believe He can do what He says He can do. Believe you can do what He says you can do. Believe He is who He says He is. And believe you are who He says you are.” (from Beth Moore’s book, Praying God’s Prayer).
Let it shine,
Let it shine,
Let it shine
itsawonderfilledlife 