Growing the Light

Last night, as I joined with others celebrating the 40^th anniversary of the camp I have directed for the last 20 years, we enjoyed a wonderful campfire message. It was special for me because the speaker, Eddie, was my chaplain when I attended the camp. He spoke about being salt and light to the world, inspiring them to get to know God through how we live.

After the message, we shared memories from past camps. One man shared the phrase, “Do you know that you know what you know?”  Eddie often used the phrase as chaplain, and it had stayed with this man, inspiring him to a deeper relationship with God.

Eddie made an impact for God in campers’ lives, mine included. But camp chaplains are not the only ones with this kind of ability. Christian authors have the unique opportunity to touch people they will most likely never meet. It’s a privilege and a responsibility. It’s a special way of being the salt and light of Christ while providing teaching, encouragement, challenge, and entertainment.

Looking back, I see how various authors have influenced me in positive, eternal ways. They have inspired me, just as Eddie did, to live my life more fully for God. Kristen Heitzmann, Sheila Walsh, Bruce Wilkinson, and Liz Curtis Higgs are just a few authors with a special place in my life.

Now, as I begin my own journey as a Christian writer, I find myself aspiring to show the salt and light in my writing as beautifully as those who have come before me. It is my deepest desire to make a difference in my readers’ lives and to go beyond entertainment for entertainment’s sake. I want God’s truth to be evident in all that I write.

You may not be a writer. You may sing or babysit children. Your life’s dream may be to serve in the military, educate tomorrow’s adults, or care for the sick. It doesn’t matter. As a believer, you are under the same call. You can be God’s salt and light wherever your dreams take you. You can take the faith-filled inspirations you have received from others and let it change the way you live your life.

When you do this, you take up the challenge Eddie left his listeners with last night. In speaking of the camp, he said he was blessed to come back 20 years later and see those who had been campers returning to the work of the camp as adults. He encouraged us to continue building on and improving on the dream of those who had come before. He encouraged us to continue being that example for the current generation of campers, so that, in time, they too can take their place as salt and light at the camp.

Wherever you are, determine to make a difference for God through how you live. What you do may seem insignificant, but you never know the impact your life will have on others.  Whatever arena of life you find yourself in, keep building on your life of faith. Live your faith each day. Others will notice. And because of the way you have lived, their faith will grow, providing more salt and light in the world we live in.

By the Book: Read Matthew 5:13-16. Thank God for those who were salt and light in your life. Ask Him to help your life do that for others.  Tell me about one of these special people in the comments below.