Have you ever been in a cave? If you have, you probably had a moment where all the flashlights were turned off and there is complete darkness. A darkness unlike anything else. You can not see your hand right in front of your face, not even in the slightest. It is really quite incredible.
When I was in Middle School, there was a cave somewhere in Middle Tennessee that we would go explore. It was several of us from Riverwood. It was a private cave with all the dangers that a cave presents. Ledges, who knows how high, that you could fall off. Bats throughout the cave. Water running through the cave. Areas you had to slide on your belly to get through. It was an adventure. So much beauty and danger all at the same time.
There was this one room in the cave we found. It was a massive room. And the acoustics in it were amazing. So we would all sit on the rocks, turn off our flashlights, and sing praises to God. It was beautiful.
There was such beauty in that cave. Not because of the darkness. No because of the sounds and wonders of God's creation all around us. It did not take much light to start to light up the room, but together we could light it up really well. We obviously used flashlights for our light, but one time while we were exploring we came across a family in the cave. They lit their way by a lantern. Honestly, it was kind of startling to see anyone else in the cave, but then to have a family who looked like they had come from a previous century was startling at first. But their lantern lit up their path so well.
Could you imagine being in the cave with lanterns and as you are exploring others are blowing out your light? It would be awful to be in the darkness and each other to try to extinguish the flames of another. Before too long you would be faced with so much darkness that you could not find your way.
If we are not careful this is the very thing we can do with each other. In the frustrations of life, we can sometimes extinguish the flames of others around us. We can discourage, insult, and ridicule others causing their flame to no longer burn. And the winner in that scenario is not the extinguiser. The winner is the darkness.
On the other hand, we can be people who take our light and look to share it with others. Before too long you will have a room that is not so dark and scary, but a room full of beauty.
“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house." -Matthew 5:14-15
We must be people who are lighting the candles of others. We can not go through this life making it darker and darker. But we live in to the life God has blessed us with. We must be the Church. We must share Christ with others.
Sharing Christ is not as difficult as we have made it. You do not need to have all the answers, or some elaborate presentation. You just need to know the love God has for you and how that has changed your life. You just share how God is working in you. Share how much you love Him. Tell of His goodness. Share the beauty of life that you now see because of Christ lighting up your path in this cave.
"Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God, who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began, and which now has been manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel," -2 Timothy 1:8-10