A Light in a Dark World

At age nine, I walked the aisle in our church to accept Jesus as my personal Savior. I knew something real had happened in my life and did my best to live my life as a Christian until my early 20s. I was ignorant of the fact that God cared about how I lived my life and had plans for me. I still prayed daily for His help in getting my life back on track. I really had no idea whether He was hearing my pleas or not. A month before turning 30, I discovered salvation was vital for the hereafter, but it was with the help of the Holy Spirit, He covered the here and now.

As so many “baby” Christians do, I believed I had to separate myself from the world in every way in order to please my Lord. I got rid of all my record albums and only listened to Gospel music. I wanted to work for “Christian” companies. I wanted my life shielded on all sides from the “world of sin.” As I did all this work, there were scriptures coming to my mind (we are told to meditate on the word day and night-Joshua 1:8) such as Matthew 28:18-20. Also the accounts of Jesus socializing with the sinners and publicans would come to mind and I’d think how can that be acceptable?! I wondered how I was going to go out into the world, when my life was centered around “us four and no more.”

Back in those earlier days, we went to the local State Fair to a Hinson concert. The grandstand was packed since they were the most popular Southern Gospel group in southern Illinois. Actually, the Hinsons were opening for the main headliner, B.J. Thomas. The Hinsons were great as always. When B.J. Thomas came out and started singing (probably Rain Drops Keep Falling on My Head) the crowd started getting up and leaving. It wasn’t just a few, it was many. He couldn’t help but notice it. He stopped, and said, “I’m not a Christian entertainer. I’m an entertainer who is a Christian.” He completed his act with the crowd that remained. The incident was never forgotten, and a lesson learned.

How can we, as Christians, be the light in a dark and perverse world? How can we be salt to save the world (Matthew 5:13) if it never leaves the shaker? I’ve often heard the term “Bloom where you are planted.” I’ve often wondered why I was in a certain place, whether jobwise, or home location. Sometimes it’s because of one person Jesus wants me to touch, be a hand extended out to. Sometimes there would be someone who was the only Christian in the place and was met with disdain and I would be the Aaron or Hur to hold up his/her arms, like they did Moses, during a battle. God loves us enough to send someone to us or us to someone else to help in the walk.

I want to encourage you to daily, seek His will for your life and be ready to be a light in a dark world. Remember your Christianity is not a coat you put on a couple days a week, but a new lifestyle, every step of the way. Be ready to possibly be the only Jesus some people will see.

Sandy Peffer