A Life of Holiness

A LIFE THAT SHINES

 

I read an article in Our Daily Bread (ODB) yesterday, Sept 15, 2013 about a basketball coach John Wooden at UCLA. His team won a lot of National Championship titles under his direction, and he was well loved by the players. The article quoted him as saying "I always tried to make it clear that basketball was not the ultimate. It is of small importance in comparison to the total life we live. There is only one kind of life that truly wins, and that is the one that places faith in the hands of the Savior. Until that is done, we are on an aimless course that runs in circles and goes nowhere". Coach John Wooden honored God in all he did and challenges us to do the same. Jesus said in (Matt 5:16) "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven". The article ended with "Let your light shine—whether you are a candle in a corner or a lighthouse on a hill".

 

This sounds like the Apostle Paul in (Phil 2:12-18), where he is encouraging his hearers to Shine Brightly for Christ. Just read these verses in a modern translation like NLT which has a heading before verse 12 "Shine Brightly for Christ"? Here are a few verses from Paul "Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear. For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases Him". "Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people. Hold firmly to the word of life; then, on the day of Christ's return, I will be proud that I did not run the race in vain and that my work was not useless. But I will rejoice even if I lose my life, pouring it out as a liquid offering to God, just like your faithful service is an offering to God. And I want all of you to share that joy. Yes you should rejoice, and I will share your joy". I believe that these few verses express the heart of a true servant of God that the Apostle Paul certainly proved to be. And this is the type of life that our Savior is looking for from all of His committed followers. And Father has given each of us His Holy Spirit to abide with us for ever the moment He adopts us into His family, when we receive His Son as our Lord and Savior. This is undoubtedly the most important choice that any person must make in their lifetime here on earth. Have you made that choice? If not yet, please don't put off that decision until it's too late; time is running out for all of us!!

Sincerely submitted

Dave Jamer