shine your light!

15th October 2009 by Rusty Hodges

Lately I've been challenged by God to shine. I'm a shy person at heart. I don't like to big note myself or cause a scene. Often I've felt like I couldn't contribute anything worthwhile. It's probably because I was afraid to shine.

Inside each one of us is a gold nugget; something so precious that God has placed there. God has placed inside you talents and abilities. He placed something inside of you so that you can shine.

When we shine, we allow God to shine through us so he can touch others. He doesn't need us to shine but he chooses to use us when we do shine. One of the areas where I feel I shine at is when I sing. I love to sing, and I feel I am good at it but sometimes I fear how others will take it or how they will respond to it. By shining we make ourselves vulnerable to others. One of my favourite quotes is from Marianne Williamson, she writes:

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn't serve the world. There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We are born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us, it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."

What is it that you are really good at? What areas do you shine in? I felt God speak to me last week at Gospel Arts camp saying I need to let go of the fear and let him use me by shining for him. The camp theme this year was ‘be all UR meant to be'. If the way we become all God meant us to be is by shining, what gets in the road for you?

Matthew 5:14-16 says "You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on a stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in Heaven."

So why not join me in the challenge to drop our fear and let our lights shine so that people may see us shine and praise our Father in heaven.

Till next time - Keep shining... you won't regret it!!!

Cheers

Comments

Nate

October 15, 2009 at 4:04pm

great word rusty
i fully believe that there's an unlimited scope of potential inside each of us and it's just a matter of knowing and believing who we are in Christ. each of us has the potential to change the world in some way and I don't want to miss out just because I'm scared of rejection or reputation.

Reply
Rusty Hodges

October 19, 2009 at 10:43am

Thanks Nate,
You got it alright... unlimited potential... life to the max is what shining is all about.
"Now to Him who is able to do immeasureably more (with exceeding abundance) than all we ask or imagine." Eph 3:20

I love your passion for seeing this promise bear fruit in your life and the way you are being used by God to draw it out of others...
Bless ya champ

Reply
Dave Brice

October 19, 2009 at 11:55am

Really good challenge Rusty! Thanks.

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