Notes from this week's podcast: It's Dark, Turn On the Light
When you walk into a dark room, what is the first thing that you generally do? You reach for the light switch to turn on the light.
How important the light is -- I keep hearing everywhere I go (through the media, grocery store, church), things are getting dark. Why is that? Well, partly because we, as Christians, are turning out the light or we're failing to turn on the light when go from from place to place and when we walk into the dark. It's up to us. We need the light. We need to be the light. And, we need others to see the light through us. We need to automatically do it. And it ought to be in us wherever we go, that people see the light, their need -- that they're in darkness and they need the light.
A quick reminder of some things we can do and be intentional that if we're not already doing them, then perhaps we can make them repetitive in our daily life that eventually they just happen, and wherever we go, we're that witness, light to a dark world -- that would want them to come to the light. Consistency is critical.
When we make a change, and we purpose to walk in the light, to be light today, when others see you doing that, they look for consistency. This won't be just one night turning on the light. It's over and over and over again until it becomes automatic. So that people know that our lives are real. They know our witness is consistent. They know that our conviction is that we're leaning into God -- that we choose to do what is right that produces light that impacts the world around us.
Our culture today is drowning in ungodliness, darkness. We, as Christians that have light in us, we've got to purpose that we're going to be the one that filters the light. Our homes should be a sanctuary where we don't pander to the darkness. We don't create room for darkness, that we are more in the Word and we don't confuse the issue that it's light.
So how do we do this? I have five things to begin to activate in your life, in your home so that we increase the light, drown out this darkness.
1. Create an atmosphere of light in your home. How do we do this? There's a lot of darkness in homes today because we are watching on the television darkness. We've got to purpose that our eyes will not look upon any unclean thing. And, when you purpose that, you can say: No, not in my house. Or pray: God, make me miserable until I am convicted that I don't want to look at that. God will do that. He'll give you a hunger for righteous movies, conversation, entertainment, if you begin to pray that way.
You've got to be intentional with your smartphones -- filter the social media. What is lingering in your mind, your flesh is going to pull toward you and most of it is darkness. It's trying to entertain us or lull us into a sleep where we're not even conscious of it. What can you do? Why not have some silent times in your home? Why not have some time when you turn the television off, turn the social media off? And, what sound then that does come through your house, it communicates godliness. It communicates the sound, the heartbeat of God. The closer I get to God, the better I can recognize that heartbeat.
* Use the time when you turn off the devices to pick up the Bible and read the Scriptures -- read it out loud. You're creating an atmosphere for them to sit and think. And you want to guard what they think. They can read the Bible too. They can think about what they're reading.
It gives an invitation for conversation -- that's not based on screen talk, what the screens are communicating to us. It causes you to have eye contact with your children, with your spouse, with family members. Eye contact is powerful. You're letting them know how important they are.
Have some order in the home. We have a discipleship ministry that we have done for years: God of Order, Ordering the Home. How important it is to know when things are out of order (not just spiritually but physically) and there's chaos, lack of rest. Your mind can't focus on good things, be prepared to make good decisions. So you put things back in order and create that culture, that environment, atmosphere that we honor God.
Each one of us, we should take a close scrutiny of our own home. Go from room to room. Is there chaos? No structure? Have you thrown in the towel to some of the ways and works of God? That is a message that we some light, some order in this room.
When you are in that home, you get things in order, it invites an atmosphere for ministry between or among family members. You set your dining room table, kitchen, living room up for ministry. Look to see if things are out of order that is inhibiting an opportunity for ministry in your home.
2. Be intentional to protect the minds of your children (or grandchildren, nieces, nephews) in your home. Our job is to be the gatekeeper. We're to shield that next generation, their minds. We have to be very discerning. [Sometimes] we're excusing the darkness. We want to protect and generate light.
Teach them how to be a responsible individual. You have to be actively involved. As Christians, we have to point out [the light and dark]. We prepare them to be light. Many times that starts in conversation with children. And you always bring it back with biblical lens, looking through what the Bible says. Then live it out. You set the rules. You've got to teach them what the Bible says on authority. I am thoroughly convinced, and have been for many years, the number one problem in this nation is a lack of respect for godly authority, an authority that God ordained from the Bible.
Taking authority over the issues and putting the Word on it. Sometimes this takes time. Also sometimes we lack, we fall short of that because we're not quite so sure what the Bible says. There are study aids to look up for word studies. This is our standard. From generation to generation will shift because of our lack of knowing the Word. The more we know the Word the more steady we can steer that ship and the greater the light.
3. Reject the acceptance of busyness. [I have taught] how busyness is really a lie of the enemy. We've guarded it like a gold medal, a badge of honor. Our culture has taught us that we need to be busy. The busier you are, the more important you are. The more important you are, the more successful you are. That is a lie. You will be darker and darker -- less satisfied. It's not the way God designed us.
Prioritize Sunday -- a day of worship. Find a time to remove yourself from the schedule, the hassle and you worship, enjoy family, have down time. Be intentional about your schedule. What does God have to say about it? Put the light on it. Let God shine a light on the things that are overload, that aren't necessary, that you've overcommitted. The Holy Spirit always has a perfect schedule. He'll help guide you every step of the way. Filter: God, what do you require, expect of me? Pleasing God. That's enough.
4. You want to generate, acquire an attitude of gratitude. We need to generate a movement of being grateful. The world wants us to be discouraged, to focus on the things that we've missed out on, the things we don't have. We have to be careful that we don't fall into the norm, atmosphere, attitude. There's something wrong with everything and that must be right. It's not right! We must be grateful, even in the small things. Being grateful that we live in this season, even the darkness that God has allowed, that we have the opportunity to live out the light.
5. Set your heart on truth. You've got to be in the Word and know what truth is. Don't trade your environment for the darkness. You purpose that you're going to walk truth in the moment - step by step, turning on the light with each step, with each decision. You're going to be the light -- increase truth, expose the darkness. Speak truth with humility. Truth that has been spoken in the dark begins to work through the dark with a spirit of conviction. You can be an anchor, not one for your house, but also wherever God sends you. It takes conviction for you to live truth, speak truth -- honoring God with your life.
God wants us to go out and be the light. Make that a priority of your life. We want the character of God to truly be the guiding force of our culture today.
