There
was a girl who worked in a factory and she became very frustrated by the words
and actions of her co-workers. One day she went to her pastor for some help and
began to tell him how difficult it was for her to work with so many
non-Christians. "Pastor," she said, "you just don't know how
hard it is to go to work on Monday morning and hear all the stories about the partying
that took place over the weekend."
The
pastor replied, "Where do you place lights?"
The
girl, barely hearing his question, pressed on saying, "and you can't
imagine how hard it is working with people who cuss and smoke all day!"
"Where
do you place lights?" he questioned again.
This
time the girl hesitated with a puzzled look on her face and then continued on.
"Pastor, you couldn't possibly know what it is like to work around people
that are so anti- the things of God and the teaching of His Word."
Again
the pastor challenged the girl, "Where do you place lights?"
This
time the girl stopped in frustration and responded, "Well, I don't know
where you place lights--- in dark places, I guess!" The words had barely
left her lips when it hit her and she understood the point the pastor was
making. She was to be God's light in the factory where she worked. She left her
meeting with the pastor that day with a new vision burning in her heart for
what she could do to reach her co-workers for Christ. Over the next several
months she led nine of them into a faith relationship with the Lord.
What's
the point... we need to love our neighbors, co-workers, classmates, friends enough
to share Jesus with them. We need to realize we have been placed, on assignment
from God, at our school, at our job, in our neighborhood, etc. to be a light in
the darkness! We must take what we learn in the church and what we have
experienced first-hand about His forgiveness and love and share it with the
world around us. We must Love Enough to Share!
Know
this... you will never share with someone whom God does not love. You will
never share with someone whom God has not dealt. You will never share with
someone who would not be better off as a Christian. You will never fail as a witness
for Christ when you lovingly and faithfully share Him with others.
