This Little Light of Mine: Christmas Break Ponderings

I was reading in 1 John today, and oh man you guys. This is quickly becoming my favorite book of the Bible. 

"At the same time, it is a new commandment that I am writing to you, which is true in Him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining...Whoever loves His brother abides in the light, and in Him there is no cause for stumbling."  1 John 2:8,10

"See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are! The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know Him." 1 John 3:1 

Christians talk about light alot. "This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine!" We speak about this as a lighthearted thing; something that is easy to do. We simply have to abide in Him, love our brother, and we shine. That sounds easy enough. At least on paper. 

But lets be real. Being a light can be hard, especially if you are viewed as a shadow. 

This is something I'm discovering this Christmas break. We are eager to talk of how we must walk in the light and love our neighbor, while we forget the second half of 1 John 3:1-the world does not know us. This makes our job difficult.

What if you try to love your brother and he gets ticked? What happens when our light isn't recognized, or worse, seen as a negative?  It can be easy to get down on yourself. I know I have. Leaving a supportive Christian community like Ecola was more challenging then anticipated. Not that this break hasn't had wonderfully fun times with friends and family; it has, and I'm so grateful. I've gone dancing, seen the Hobbit, gotten Eggnog Chai at Northtown (Christmas in a Cup, seriously), laughed with my sister, and visited friends I hadn't seen in years. But I've struggled to feel as if I'm making any real diffence or am wanted. I miss my Cannon Beach Family, and have allowed myself to get discouraged. Thankfully God is the greatest encourager.

What are we to do when this happens? When we feel as though our light is "under a bushel?"

Remember Our Identity. 

We are children of The King!! A King this world does not know. When we aren't seen as a light, we have to remember it's because this world has different values then we do. When we abide in Christ, when we love our brother, it's not going to make sense to them because our love is a foreign love. Our job isn't to be liked. Our job is to live new. We have the power to shine and shine brightly! Whether or not people appreciate it. And often they won't. They sure didn't appreciate our Savior. But that's ok. Because we are His; we need no other approval.