Computer Screens and June Bugs

Last night I was sitting outside to let poor neglected little Alphie the dog play, since he had been cooped up all day due to our busy schedule, and I needed to blog for the student ministry page, so I decided to multi-task and do it out doors. I love being outside and the night was beautiful, so I was very nice to sit out there in the peace and type while Alphie expended some pinned up energy, and my girls were already in bed which just increased the peace! As soon as I opened the laptop, I realized the down fall of my little plan; BUGS! All kinds of insects swarmed to the light of the computer screen as well as the porch light and were very distracting. In my personal opinion, June bugs are among the yuckiest of all bugs, they are kind of slow and so crunchy and their legs are all spiky; I just don't like them, but they apparently really like the glow of my computer, as do moths and other unidentified creatures! They were all over me, GROSS! And then my weird brain started to work... and you guessed it, a spiritual application came to me.

Matthew 5:14-16 says, "You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven." Those of us who are believers should be shining so brightly that people are drawn to us, just like those bugs were drawn to the lights. I am sure that bugs from all around could see the lights there were around me, because that is how light works, it pierces through the darkness. And the best way to shine is not with our mouths moving and saying how much we love God and people, but with our actions, our "good deeds". People will notice how we behave and want to be around us then we can share our lives with them and point them to Jesus, who will then get the praise and glory for it. Last night I would have loved to put a bowl over the computer screen to deter the bugs, but in our Christian walk we WANT to attract people, which means we cannot be "secret Christians"; people who just go to church, but don't live it out loud the rest of the week. That is definatly not putting our light on a stand to share with everyone.

It is my prayer that myself, my family, my youth, my church and everyone who enjoys the grace of God through Jesus, will live their lives in such a way that people all around them will not be able to stay away. We are all like moths or June bugs; it is nice to be around others who love us and are kind and we can be that light for everyone who sees us! So shine on, and see what happens! :)