Let Your Light So Shine

Welcome to Christian Family Guardianship also lovingly referred to as CFG where our mission is to help families form a closer relationship with God through His son Jesus Christ. We combine our 25 years of experience in doing His work with His Word giving Christians a complete understanding in how to honor and serve God in our day to day lives.

To begin, In Matthew 5:16 we are asked to “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”

This is a great scripture and yet it is much easier said than done- In fact much biblical guidance seems this way. We are given simple tasks that can be challenging to accomplish. Much of God’s word is pretty straightforward and most concepts are in theory “basic” yet they are some of the most difficult lifestyles to achieve and can be even harder to maintain.

In considering the above scripture, it sounds easy and enjoyable to let your light so shine, and to glorify God in all we do.

Personally, I picture myself living this by being lighthearted, happy, full of life, being kind and helpful, giving a comforting word, or lending a helping hand. I envision myself smiling with the sun in my face, and being a vision of joy, and spreading it to all who come in contact with me. However, when I look at my day to day life, it leaves me feeling a little deflated to say the least.

This light that I wish to be pouring out of me, at times seems like a trickle…or perhaps it has been stopped up like a beaver damming up a river. There is simply too much debris blocking the joy to let it flow naturally. Another example is of having mud on a light bulb. This analogy represents our very souls covered in layers of darkness that simply make it unable to shine. So it begs the question- what is this debris or darkness that is blocking our inner light? And if it is affecting me, are other people being inhibited in the same way?

When looking at the world today we see Christianity on a decline and seemingly joy going with it. With so many unhappy people, rebelliously fighting the Christian standards, that bring happiness, it can be uncomfortable to be a pleasant person in mixed company. Our family has a pretty joyful life and marriage, and we have been asked on several occasions in business and even at the grocery store, “What are you so happy about?” as some people are outwardly offended by our upbeat demeanor.

Hebrews 1:9 gives us a little clarity on this when it explains-“You have loved righteousness and hated iniquity; Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You With the oil of gladness more than Your companions.” The opposite is also true. When people with immoral behavior (the definition of iniquity) see your joy, they are shown that you are righteous, and that offends them.

Take heart, as it is impossible to please everyone, but always strive to handle difficult people gracefully as you may be an example of God’s goodness that they need to see. God does not always turn people around in an instant, but oftentimes changes hearts through many experiences of grace over a lifetime. Just as we must face the accuser within, it is important that we recognize that the people we come in contact with have their own mud to deal with.

God’s word encourages us to be patient with people, but as mentioned above He is very direct about His view of iniquity, and in other translations of this scripture, He refers to iniquity as evil, wickedness and lawlessness. As Christians it is important to understand what is required of us.

God encourages us to fight iniquity, wickedness, evil and lawlessness. To confirm this point, in Ephesians 6:12 we are told “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”

So we must actively fight against the evil and darkness of this world and we are to let our light so shine. Jesus confirms this in John 8:12 when he tells us "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." He is showing us that by following His example, we are naturally moving away from darkness and into the light.

This light is given even greater depth, when Jesus explains that it gives life, so in contrast, we learn that darkness creates death, when we truly acknowledge and believe that Christ gives life through light.

Once we have this understanding we get a quick education as we know that sickness, depression, addiction, and all other unhealthy life experience lead to death, so we know that exposure to these things comes from darkness. Although these experiences in themselves do not kill us instantly, they incrementally break down our bodies and our will over time.

So how can we fight this darkness, and keep it from blocking our light in this world? The first step like with any change is to acknowledge that darkness is there at all. We see a world around us with a deteriorating moral foundation, our younger generations are disinterested at best, and many are concerned about the future. We see churches and schools being corrupted, hearts and minds consumed with self, our security and peace slipping away with our Christian values. Yet, very few are willing to acknowledge the stealth force that is at the root of these problems.

The battle ground is closer than you think. It is in our hearts, our minds, our homes, and entangled in the family relationships within it. Perhaps you have been unaware, but darkness is slinging mud on our light bulbs every day, making it more and more challenging to scrape off the layers to find security, peace, and happiness.

We are encouraged in Matthew 5:15 “Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.” What a pleasure to know that by shining in this world, we are benefiting all who come in contact with us.

Our ministry believes that God’s children are naturally happy, pleasant, wonderful, talented people and that through darkness the devil is working overtime to cover God’s children in burden, debt, sickness, emotional struggles, guilt, accusation, and pain to stop them from becoming the warriors God created them to be. Christ encourages us in Matthew 11:28-30 28Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 30For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

We know that being released from Satan’s bondage takes time and that the best way to find out who we are through Christ is to separate ourselves from the lies of the Devil. As time marches on, the layers placed upon us can become thick and slow to chip off. Raising children in this dark time is challenging, as they are taught to believe certain mistruths that cause a negative effect throughout the remainder of their lives. These misconceptions lead us away from God and His teachings.

We understand that there is more to following Christ than simply saying we believe in Him. Believing in someone means that you trust them, and follow their example. We encourage that as you begin to be freed from darkness, that you create a personal relationship with Jesus, and strive to model your life after Him.

We hope this information is helpful to you, and please feel free to comment below or email us at CFG4me@gmail.com