Go light your world

Go light your world
There is a candle, in every soul
Some brightly burning, some dark and cold
There is a Spirit who brings fire
Ignites a candle and makes His home

Carry your candle, run to the darkness
Seek out the hopeless, confused and torn
Hold out your candle for all to see it
Take your candle, go light your world
Take your candle, go light your world

Frustrated brother, see how he's tried to
Light his own candle some other way
See now your sister, she's been robbed and lied to
Still holds a candle without a flame

Carry your candle, run to the darkness
Seek out the lonely, the tired and worn
Hold out your candle for all to see it
Take your candle, go light your world
Take your candle, go light your world

We are a family, whose hearts are blazing
So let's raise our candles and light up the sky
Praying to our Father, in the name of Jesus
Make us a beacon in darkest times

Carry your candle, run to the darkness
Seek out the helpless, deceived and poor
Hold out your candle for all to see it
Take your candle, go light your world

(C) Kathy Trocoli

The sacred and secular. It's perhaps the biggest struggle for any Christian young or old to grasp. And up till a month ago, I thought I had it all figured out. Since slavation was assured, I simply refused to acknowledge the secular parts of the world; in part I was motivated by this verse:

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—His good, pleasing and perfect will. - Romans 12:2

And so I told myself never to fall into the trap of falling into the pattern of the world. I told myself that the world's standard can never be satiated; it will always want more. And the minute we attain the standard of thw world, a new one comes about and we fall back into the trap of trying to attain it again. And I applied this priciple to everything the world wanted of me, the way I dressed, the way I spent my money, the various gadgets I used in daily life. I tried to live out of neccessity rather than of want.

And on the reverse side, I came to realise that the standard God has set for us is so much higher. And since we are all sinners, we have to be accept the fact that no matter what we do, we can never attain that standard. So why even try? God provided the "way out", and that was Jesus; and when our heart was with Him, it's sufficient.

But now, after a month of emotional turmoil, the Lord says my attitude needs to change. Because there are brothers and sisters out there who really struggle with the sacred and the secular, and beating them down with my dogmatic approach makes them think I'm full of spiritual pride. It's a stab to the heart, for God revealed that everything that governed my actions was not incorrect, just incomplete.

Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose. - Philippians 2:12-13

Salvation is in me, but now that I am saved, I cannot just stand there and continue to do what I used to do. The phrase "life transformation" has been like a catchphrase of the YM this year. But that cannot come about until we realise what salvation and the death of Jesus really means. (I was pretty shocked that Methodist doctrine actually says that we can lose our salvation; I quite disagree due to the lack of precedent in the Bible. But then, it's merely a doctrine, at the end of the day that is not the main issue.)

Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life—in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing. - Philippians 2:14-16

I guess the song above was partly inspired by this verse. We are to be like stars, to shine brightly in our world of darkness. I've forgotten about the darkness in the world around me. There is no point putting a bright candle in an equally brightly lit room. It won't make a difference. But it will when it is put in a dark room.

I look back at life and I see the abundant blessings that the Lord has poured out on me. And I realise that these blessings are not for me to enjoy alone. I must give them away. So all the blessings that I have, my car, my money, whatever, I put it on the altar of sacrifice that they may be burned up for His service.

So now, one month later. I have begun to struggle with the secular and the sacred again; but in a positive manner. A new handphone, a new pair of shoes. I realise that these things didn't really bring me pleasure at all. I cannot block out the secular, nor can I embrace it. And so, I haven't found my answers yet; but I cannot be so insensitive and desensitized to the world around anymore. I've hurt too many that way, and I hurt the people closest to me the most.

For now, I won't run away from the secular. I will try show a different way. And turn their eyes to Jesus, and then the things of the world, the things that are of the secular, will grown strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace.