How To Be A Light-Shiner In Three Easy Steps

1 John 1:4,5

And these things we write, so that our joy may be made complete.  And this is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is light and in Him there is no darkness at all. 

1 John 2:5,6,10

But whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected.  By this we know that we are in Him:  the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked.  The one who loves his brother abides in the light and there is no cause for stumbling in him.

Matthew 5:14-16

You are the light of the world.  A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do men light a lamp and put it under the peckmeasure, but on the lampstand and it gives light to all who are in the house.  Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see you good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.

    God wants you to be a “person of the light.”  But what does that mean and how do you actually do that?  The first thing you need to know is that “God is light and in Him there is no darkness.”  So, the first step to being a person of the light is to strive to be like God. A good start on your road to being God-like would be to try to keep your spirit loving and peaceful. Place other people’s interests above your own.  Get the darkness or negativity out of your thoughts, language, and actions. 

    The second step to being a person of the light is to “love your brother,” which translates to caring about all the people that God has put on your path.    When you do this, you are “walking in the manner that He Walked.”  When all your interactions reflect love, it keeps you from stumbling; it keeps peace in your world. Ask yourself, “Was I helpful to the person I just talked to? If that person was struggling with their faith and they were looking at me as an example of God’s love and mercy, would I have just flunked the test?”

    Finally, to be a person of the light, you must proactively strive to use the gifts that God has given you.  When you try your best in everything you do, no matter how humble the task, or how busy you are, you are being a person of the light.  When you say the kindest word that you can muster, to a person that you don’t even want to speak to, you are being a person of the light.  When your every thought and every action starts and stops with the question, “Is my light shining?” then God is glorified, and you in fact are a person of the light...a light-shiner!

Click the link below to see my books,
"Keeping Your Lamp Lit"
http://www.amazon.com/Keeping-Your-Lamp-Lit-Schuler/dp/1451559321/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1277386999&sr=1-1#noop
"Good Strategies for Bad Times"
http://www.amazon.com/Good-Strategies-Bad-Times-Schuler/dp/1438257775/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1265471485&sr=8-1