“When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 8:12 NIV

A beautiful sunrise reflects God’s love on earth!

As Christians, followers of Jesus Christ, we have the “light of life” that Jesus promises! We are freed by His love, we are forgiven of our sins, we are His children of light in this “dark” world. We have joy and peace. Now comes the hard question…

Are we living and reflecting this beautiful light for others to see? We all  (and I include myself!) need to pause and think for a minute or two.

Did I get frustrated and angry when the cashier made a mistake on my bill, or did I smile and say no problem as she apologized and corrected it?

Did I ignore the older woman who was struggling to return her grocery cart, or did I offer to take it back for her as I wished her a blessed day?

Did I give an exasperated sigh as a young mother tried to rein in her unruly toddler, or did I grin and offer her words of acceptance and encouragement?

Did I turn the other way when a homeless man approached, or did I look at him as “the least of these” and provide help?

Jesus never accepted sin, but He did accept and have compassion for people. This verse actually follows the story of the young woman who was to be stoned for adultery. Jesus paused and instructed the crowd, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” John 8:7b NIV

When all her accusers had left, Jesus did not condemn her either but sent her away and told her to leave her life of sin.

I think we all have had situations where, for one reason or another, we chose not to reflect the light of Jesus. We are none of us perfect, no, not one. But this week, I challenge each of us to examine our interactions with others and evaluate our reflection of Jesus’ light of life. You may be the only “light” some people see in a day. Reflect the light of Jesus and draw others to Him. They will want to know what you possess that makes you shine so!

I thank God for each of you! And I thank you for joining me this week as we strive to reflect the light of Jesus to others.

Blessings and light!