A candle is a small
thing, but one candle can light another. When it does this, it’s own light increases, and the original
candle does not loose anything by giving its light to another……
And a candle, no
matter what its size, provides light no matter how deep the darkness is around
it. As Christians, we are called to be like a candle, not only shining our own light in a world of
darkness, but also giving that light to another who needs it.
When you are a Christian, and you truly have Christ living
within you, you will be full of light. You will never again be in darkness
because He provides light for your path and for the path of others. Jesus tell
us in John’s Gospel:
John 8:12
Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am
the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but
shall have the light of life.
Candles come in all different shapes, sizes and colors, and
each one has a purpose. There are candles meant to light a whole room, there
are candles that relax you, there are big candles, small candles, long and
skinny candles, short and fat candles and
on… BUT all candles, no matter their shape or size all share the same traits.
They give light where
there is darkness.
A candle that is not lit is just a piece of wax. The sole
reason that a candle exists is to give off light. Now I know that there are
“decorative” candles that people put in their homes because they like the shape
or the color, but that candle never fulfills its true purpose until it is lit
and starts burning. Paul talks about this in his second letter to the Church at
Corinth:
2 Corinthians 4:6
For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
Think about that for a moment…. The Creator of all things,
the One who commanded light to be created is shining in our hearts. We then
have an obligation to make sure that this light that is the Gospel of Jesus
Christ shines bright in our lives and gives light to all who we would
encounter. How do we do this? By making
sure that we are a shining example of the light of Christ. Once a candle is
lit, it needs to be put in a place or on a candle stick so that the maximum
amount of light is given off and can be seen by all. We cant just hide that
candle… If we do, it is nothing but a waste. Jesus tells us this in Luke’s
Gospel:
Luke 11:33
No man, when he hath
lighted a candle, putteth it in a secret place, neither under a bushel, but on
a candlestick, that they which come in may see the light.
Way too many people whose lives have been lit by the light
of Christ are putting their candle in a secret place. They let their light
shine on Sunday’s and Wednesdays when they go to Church and are around other
Christians, but when they leave the building, they put that light away. The only way that people know they are
Christians is if they see them walking into a Church building. Otherwise you
could never tell by the way they live their lives.
Why is this? Because they
put that light in a secret place…. This my friends should not be. We must let
that light burn bright. From the front pew of the Church to the daily grind of
our jobs. If we do not show that light that The Lord has caused to burn within
us, we are not doing anyone any good.
Think for a moment about a lighthouse that would guide a
ship into a safe harbor. When lighthouses first came into being, the light that
came from them was little more than a huge candle (although made of wood and
other materials instead of wax, but the principle was and still is, the same).
A light was burned and reflected onto the water so that the ships captains
would see where the rocks were and not run aground. As the old story goes:
A battleship lookout
noted a light in the distance on a dark, foggy night. After noting the light’s
coordinates, the captain recognized his ship was on a collision course with the
light. The captain instructed, "Signal the ship: We are on a collision
course, advise you change course 20 degrees."
The return signal countered, "Advisable
for you to change course 20 degrees."
The captain signaled,
"I’m the captain of this vessel, change your course 20 degrees."
The response from the
light was, "I’m a seaman second class, you’d better change your course 20
degrees."
By this time the
captain was furious. His signal curtly ordered, "I’m a battleship, this is
the captain speaking. Change course 20 degrees, this is an order"
The reply: "I’m the lighthouse and if you
do not change your course, you are headed for a shallow reef that will sink
your ship”.
How many people do we know today that are in our lives who
are like the stubborn captain? Family, friends, co workers? All headed for the
rocks of destruction. WE, who have the Light Of The World shining through us,
must stand steadfast and let that light shine so that those we come in contact
with will not crash on those rock, but instead will be guided safely into the
harbor that is the love of Christ. Like the stubborn captain, they may argue,
the may refuse to change their course, but if we stand firm, if we keep showing
them the light, it will make a difference……
In closing today, I want to share a couple things about
candles and how we need to aspire to make our lives like a candle.
A candle, being made of wax is mold able. It can be shaped
into any form that the person doing the molding want it to be. So must our
lives be. We must let The Lord mold our lives into whatever shape He wants them
to be. Not all shapes will be the same and they shouldn’t be, but each shape
will have its specific purpose.
Also, as I mentioned before, candles are just pieces of wax.
In order to be used properly, they must be lit. But before they can be lit,
they must have something inside them, something that can not be removed and
that carries the flame. In a candle
it is a wick, in our lives, it is Jesus
Christ. So get out there, find some
darkness, and light it up with your candle.
There is a world in darkness that is waiting for the light and we, as
Disciples of Christ are called to be that light….
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