“REFLECTING THE LIGHT OF CHRIST”

5 “And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother's son, and all their possessions that they had gathered, and the people that they had acquired in Haran, and they set out to go to the land of Canaan.”

Genesis 12:5

Indifference is a serious threat to our mandate of bringing people to the Kingdom of God. So, what are we to do to give them a chance to know the God who loves them?

In our previous blog, we learned that God calls people to trust Him and change their lives forever.

God called Abraham from Ur and told him to move to a place He would show him. While he did move, he didn’t fully obey God. He took a detour and spent years in Haran instead of going straight to Canaan. 

Abraham came from a pagan family, so God wanted him to separate himself from idolatry. Abraham didn’t fully submit to God's will until his father Terah died. It could have been that Abraham loved his father so much that he decided to delay his trip to Canaan.

While we consider Abraham a great example of faith, it is evident that he wasn’t always faithful. His reluctance in this instance is tantamount to being double-minded in the sight of God. In a sense, he served two masters at the same time. God, being a jealous God, does not deserve such a half-hearted commitment.

As we can see, God was patient with Abraham and waited until Terah's son was ready. And when Abraham received God’s call, he went and obeyed the Lord. Along with his wife Sarai (“my princess”), nephew Lot, their slaves, and everything he owned, Abram embarked on a journey that would change people’s lives forever—including ours.

Here's a lesson we can take from this text:

Faith acknowledges that God calls each believer to serve as a light in the darkness.

Abraham lived during a time when sin had become widespread, threatening the goodness of God’s creation. The world has lost its sense of morality, justice, and mercy; it has forgotten the God who made all things. Everyone was plunged into wickedness. From a state of perfection, the world became corrupted with drunkenness, deception, greed, sexual immorality, rebellion, and murder. It was time for God to act.

We can make a case that the world we live in is not very different from how it was during Abraham’s time. People have a twisted view of marriage and the family; they have a corrupted opinion of God. Some even deny the existence of a deity. Still, others are indifferent—they don’t care at all. It’s no wonder why the world is in such a huge mess!

But in the midst of this darkness, God pulled us up and called us to reflect the light of Christ.

 16 “In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”

Matthew 5:16

We live in a day and age where people won’t listen to God, but they might respond to loving care. Therefore, our testimonies and the attractiveness of our character play a significant part in winning people for Christ. In this way, our actions speak louder than mere words.

Pursue the Savior today!

Photo by Nathan Maduta on Unsplash