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Day 16: Our Strong Light

 The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?

The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?
Psalm 27:1
 
Each time I take the stage to lead, I make a choice.
 
Shadow or light.
 
The shadow’s call is always the same. Counterfeit. Manufacture. Hide. Deceive.
 
If my leadership hinges on my strength, I further the illusion of my performance and sabotage every relationship with poisonous deceit.
 
The light reminds me that I am a sheep before I am a shepherd and a son or daughter before I am a leader. I am purchased and I belong. This frees me to discerningly share who I really am, on or off the stage.
 
I can share the hopeful and the messy parts, strewn together, poured out for those I lead to identify with and speak into. Light is contagious. This honesty also provides them an “out”…an escape from the pretending and posturing that everything in their own chest is tidy and clean.
If my relationships hinge on the strength of my Savior, I am safe to have them love the real me.
 
Our shadows demand that we find strength in our studies, work, influence, dating status, family, and social circles. We want to place our hope in something we can wrap our arms around or pay for online. The tangible feels trustworthy. But the incredible weight of our hopes and hearts simply can not be held up by lesser things. These smaller things are not strong enough and never will be.
 
Thankfully, our Savior the light of the world, is always strong enough. He always will be.
 
Question to Consider
Jesus already sees your choices of “light and shadows”. Where are you pretending or hiding? If the Holy Spirit gave you courage, who would you invite into that?
 
Prayer
Jesus, forgive us for not seeing you at strong. Forgive us for living for lesser things. Forgive us for thinking that hiding our brokenness ever helps. Give us courage by your spirit to invite you and others into our lives where we are truly seen and known
 

By Donald Zimmerman, Director of Communications, Arts, Music and Liturgy at Doxa Church in Bellevue, WA