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A group of Cub Scouts were out on a camping trip. The leader had divided the boys into pairs and gave each of them jobs to prepare the camp. Some were in charge of setting up the tents, others built a fire pit, a couple of boys went off to collect wood, and another group went to get water.
As the sun faded and the sky grew dark, the leader became worried. Two boys had not returned from gathering wood. They weren’t supposed to go far, and they had been gone much longer than expected. The group called out their names to see if they were hiding as a joke, but there was no response.
The leader gathered the boys, grabbed the flashlights, and they headed out to search for them.
It was a cloudy night, with no light from the sky, so it was hard to see. Three boys were in charge of holding the flashlights. One was supposed to light the trail so they could see where to walk, and the other two were to scan the surroundings and search for the lost boys.
But as boys often do, they began picking at each other—teasing and distracting one another—and the leader had to correct them several times. At one point, he had to stop on the trail. The boys had stopped shining their lights on the path and the woods and had instead decided to shine the lights in each other’s eyes. Fighting ensued.
The leader was exasperated. How could they possibly find the lost boys if they kept arguing?
Philippians 2:14–15
“Do all things without murmurings and disputings: That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;”
What did Paul mean? He was reminding these believers of their purpose and identity in Christ.
They were to be a light in a dark world. But how could they shine that light to the lost if they were focused on complaining and arguing with one another?
What kind of message does that send to the world about the gospel?
Where is our light shining? Is it searching for the lost, offering them hope like a beacon in the dark? Or is it focused on ourselves—on others’ faults and preferences?
If you find yourself constantly critiquing others or offering your opinions about how things should be done, ask yourself this question: How many people have I shared the gospel with today?
In this dark and broken world, let’s be the light Christ has called us to be. Someone out there today is waiting for that light to come.
Share the gospel.
Tell them about Jesus.
Show them how to follow Him.
Not sure how? Let me show you. Go to follow.lifeword.org to learn more about Jesus and how to share Him with others. This is a free evangelism and discipleship resource for you. Use it to grow in your relationship with Jesus, and then share it with someone to encourage them.
Shine your light in the world!
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