Ep 17: In a Jar or Under a Bushel

Speaker1: Well. Good morning. I hope you're having a great day so far. I'm Daniel D'alp and this is for your Sunday morning drive. The short podcast designed to put you in a Colossians three two mindset, and to prepare your mind for worship on those hectic Sunday mornings for your Sunday morning drive, is in partnership with the Ministry League network of podcasts. Be sure to check out the other podcasts on the network, both through the app and through Ministry. League.com. Let's jump into today's episode. This is episode 17. In a jar or under a bushel. Let's go to church.

Speaker2: Are we there yet?

Speaker1: We are well into summertime, and not my favorite season for sure, but it certainly comes with its own good things, one of which is the yearly arrival of one of God's most amazing creations, the Firefly or the Lightning Bug, depending on which part of the country you call home. And I love seeing the first lightning bugs of the season begin to flicker in the twilight as summertime arrives, it brings back some childhood memories and well, I'm a sucker for nostalgia, and I bet we share some of the same experiences. Going out with a small jar just after dark and running around your yard, waiting for the brief flashes of light as the firefly gives away its positions, and then blindly batting at them with an open hand, trying to grab as many as possible, and then putting a lid on it and poking some holes in the top, and then sneaking your new living lantern back into your room before your parents made you let them go. But when it was time to let them go, it always seemed a little bit too soon. I always wanted to hold on to them to keep their light close to me. But as we grow older, we recognize that the beauty of God's creation is not to be hoarded, but it should be free for all to enjoy. You know, I think the same can be said for our Christian light. And Jesus tells us in Matthew five 1416, you are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden, nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lamp stand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.

Speaker1: Let your light shine before men in such a way that they might see your good works, and glorify your father who is in heaven. We are not to hoard our light, our influence. We are to share it. Let it shine openly and not for our glory, but for God's. And don't hold it so close to your chest. Don't covet that light, but shine it. It's almost as if sometimes we're afraid to do that. What are we afraid of? Are we ashamed of our Lord? Are we worried about the ridicule of the lost? Maybe it's the fear of rejection. My friends, do not be afraid. As the song says, do not hide it under a bushel. Don't let Satan blow it out, but let it shine. And may I add, don't keep it trapped and hoarded to yourself. Because just like our friend the Firefly, if you keep that light bottled up for too long, eventually it's going to die. Let it do its job. Bring glory to God. Do so boldly and do so brightly. Well, those are just my thoughts for your Sunday morning drive. Now it's time to hear yours. Our discussion questions for this week are. Why are we sometimes afraid to let our light shine? Why do we hide it? And what can we do to be sure that God gets the glory?