Think about the flashlight on your phone. It's a pretty simple feature, but it can be incredibly useful. When the power goes out, when you're looking for something under the couch, when you're walking through a dark parking lot, or when you need to find your way through somewhere you can't see, that little light suddenly becomes really important. But here's the thing about a flashlight: it doesn't do anybody any good while it's sitting inside your phone turned off. The whole point of having a light is to shine it where there is darkness.

That's a pretty good picture of what God wants to do through our lives. We've spent these 21 days getting plugged in, getting charged up, cleaning out the things that have been draining us, discovering what God has put inside of us, and learning to put those things to work. But all of that has a purpose. God wants the life He's put in you to shine into somebody else's darkness.

John says in 1 John 3:16 that we know what real love looks like because Jesus gave His life for us. Then he takes it a step further and says that if we have enough to help somebody who is in need but choose to ignore them, how can God's love really be living in us? That's a powerful question. If God's love is inside of us, it ought to show up outside of us. We ought to shine line a cell phone flashlight that mamaw and papaw forgot to turn off! 

Being the light isn't just about talking about Jesus. It's about showing people what Jesus is like by the way we live. Sometimes the brightest thing you can do is encourage somebody who is discouraged. Sometimes it's forgiving somebody who doesn't deserve it. Sometimes it's sitting with somebody who is hurting. Sometimes it's helping somebody who has a need. Sometimes it's being generous when you could keep it for yourself. Sometimes it's simply noticing the person everybody else has overlooked.

The world doesn't need more Christians who can tell people what love is. It needs Christians who will actually love people.

Think about what happens when you turn on the flashlight on your phone. The darkness doesn't fight back. It doesn't have to. The moment the light comes on, the darkness simply isn't as dark anymore. And you don't have to light up the entire world today. You just need to shine where God has placed you.

Your home needs your light.

Your workplace needs your light.

Your school needs your light.

Your neighborhood needs your light.

Your church needs your light.

And there is probably somebody in your life right now who is walking through a dark place and needs to see a little bit of the love of Jesus.

You may not be able to fix their whole situation. You may not have all the answers. You may not be able to change everything they're facing. But you can shine, and sometimes that's exactly what God wants you to do. Don't underestimate a small act of love. A phone flashlight doesn't have to be a spotlight to be useful. It just has to be turned on.

So turn it on.

Let the love God has put in you become visible today. Look for somebody who needs encouragement. Look for somebody who needs help. Look for somebody who feels forgotten. And then do something about it, because when you're fully charged, the goal isn't to keep all that power to yourself. It's to shine it where somebody else needs it.

Today’s Prayer

Father, 

Thank You for showing me what real love looks like through Jesus. Help me not just talk about Your love, but actually show it to the people around me. Open my eyes today to the people who are hurting, lonely, discouraged, or in need. Give me the courage to step toward them instead of walking past them. Let Your love shine through my words, my actions, my generosity, and my willingness to serve.

Put me in someone's darkness today and let me be a light.

In Jesus' name, amen.