If you are one of God’s candles, one of his faithful ones, our world needs you and God needs you. We have a beautiful world with many people who truly love others and try to do what is right and good. At this time in history, our world also has many hurting people and families who have lost loved ones, jobs, and their livelihood. We see people who are angry and burdened, and who see a world of no hope.
In a world of so much sorrow and despair flows God’s love for his people, and he sees those in need of comfort and strength. He also sees his faithful ones who know and love him. As God’s candles, our hearts must always be open to whom he sends to us, and we must believe and trust in what God’s love will do. We cannot live without love, and only with love can we touch the heart of another.
As we try to love as God loves, we begin to see with his eyes of mercy, compassion, and unconditional love. Those in distress may not know of God’s great love for them, but when they search for hope or comfort, they will find it first through the love shown to them by others. As they feel the love of another, their heart begins to change from one of despair to hope and knowing God’s love.
As God’s candles, we sometimes see the needs of others, but may choose to turn the other way. This lack of compassion affects not only the one in need, but others along the way. We may not agree with what others do or say or believe, but they are still our brothers and sisters in Christ. They are still our spiritual family given to us by God. We are often too quick to criticize people. We never know what someone has been through in their lives nor do we know what is truly in their hearts. Only God knows and only God is our judge.
The world is always watching to see how we treat others, for as God’s faithful ones, we are held to a higher standard. To quote the American author Brennan Manning, “The greatest single cause of atheism in the world today is Christians, who acknowledge Jesus with their lips, walk out the door, and deny him by their lifestyle. That is what an unbelieving world simply finds unbelievable.”
If our mission is to help get others to Christ, then we must be strong in our faith and ready to listen to what God tells us to do. Remember that we all have a specific path in bringing others to God and given specific gifts and talents to fulfill our path. God expects us to stay true to our mission and use the spiritual gifts he has given us. This mission begins in our own family and in our own homes and continues on to where God leads us.
We must have a servant’s heart, ready to serve God’s hurting souls, bringing them hope and peace. We must also become prayer warriors, praying for each other, and for good in the world. We will find joy in helping his people discover his love and encouraging them to touch others with this new love they have found. Our world will become a better place for when you touch one soul, you touch many souls.
Sometimes we may feel that our small acts of kindness, our individual prayers, our single deeds of love are insignificant in a world that at times seems hopeless. It is important that we not get discouraged by what we see nor can we allow others to sink into that discouragement. We must never give up hope, for in God, there is always hope, and in our faith, we know we can make a difference in our world. As we unite with other candles, we create a wall of love and a strong force of God’s powerful graces. As God’s candles, we can only imagine how God will use us. We better be ready!
Copyright © 2024 Marsha Luke – Rights for non-commercial reproduction granted: May be copied in its entirety, but neither retyped nor edited.