I spent the entire summer soaking up every last ounce of freedom before adulthood officially began (I also managed to soak up quite a bit of sun) but this week I have forcefully allowed the responsibilities of adulthood to soak back into my life. As if getting up before 7:00 AM isn’t enough punishment in and of itself; I spend part of my days inside the Health Science Center (HSC). The HSC will always remind me of the three long years I am fortunate enough to call physical therapy school. Even though I am no longer a student; I still feel the same emotions each time I walk through the main entrance. I still remember all of the reasons why this specific building will always bring about bitter sweet memories. Some of these bitter sweet memories resurfaced today as I walked onto the elevator to go to the basement of the HSC. Usually, I would take the stairs but you can’t get to the basement from the stairs so I had no choice but to get on the most unreliable elevator I have ever stepped foot on. I was fully prepared for the creaks and bangs that accompany the ride between floors. I was fully prepared to think good thoughts when other people took the elevator down one floor opposed to taking the stairs. I was even fully prepared to get stuck on the elevator for the better part of my afternoon. But I was prepared to find humor in my elevator ride and I most definitely wasn’t prepared for God to speak to me in such a brief period of time. First, the humor. I was the only person to get on the elevator from the eighth floor. I pushed the button marked B for basement but the light was burnt out. (Did I mention that the HSC has stellar elevators) Being a veteran of these elevators, I knew it was a delicacy if you actually came across an elevator button that lit up. And being the one who pushed the button; I knew the basement was on the lists of stops. The three individuals who entered the elevator after me (each from different floors) did not know the button marked B had already been pushed. So like trained robots, one by one, they entered the elevator and pushed the B button. Then they pushed it again because their aggressive (and borderline obsessive) button pushing skills didn’t yield a glowing light.
Now, God’s voice. Of course, I told each button pusher that the light was burned out and I assured them that we would all make it to the basement like one giant elevator family. As I was giving my explanation, I wasn’t paying attention to my words; I was paying attention to His words. His words that kept asking me, “What if they saw the light?” I instantly knew He wasn’t talking about the unreliable elevator button light: He was talking about His light. He was reminding me that for the past two weeks, I have been leaving Him behind when I venture out in the world of adulthood. (Or when I venture out at all) For the past few weeks, I have been in a spiritual slump friends. I have made excuses for my obedience. I have cut corners in my quiet time with God. I have replaced my faith with fear. I have accepted complacency opposed to victory. I have hidden the light of God that lives inside of me by allowing myself to live like the world lives opposed to living like He lives. As followers of God, we are called to a higher standard. We are commanded to live so that others who do not know Him are drawn to Him by the Jesus that lives inside of us. I couldn’t possibly draw others to Jesus during the spiritual slump I was in because nothing about my actions represented Jesus. To onlookers, I was a worn and drained adult (I use the term adult loosely) trying my best to fulfill all of my Earthly roles. To Jesus, I was a lost sheep who was trying my best to find satisfaction in a dried out pasture. To me, I was a tiny, tiny glimmer of light that still represented Jesus. He doesn’t deserve the bare minimal we can give Him; He deserves our best friends. He deserves for us to wake up each morning, put on our full armor, and face the day full of Him. He has entrusted each of us to carry out His work every single day. He doesn’t want any of His children to perish so He will use every opportunity possible to reach out to one of His lost sheep. He uses us to be His light. He uses us to shine brighter than those who do not know Him as their personal savior. He uses us to draw in those who are desperate for the miracle of Jesus to forever change their lives. He uses us to complete His perfect plan so others can experience eternity with Him one day. Do you radiate Jesus? Are complete strangers drawn to you because they see the Jesus inside of you? Ask yourself the question, “What if they saw the light?” Could the light of Jesus inside of you make days be brighter? Could you be used to put an end to the spiritual slumps of other simply by allowing Christ to radiate from you daily? The answer is yes friends. When we choose to allow God’s light to shine through us; we change lives. We illuminate the one who desires for everyone’s elevator ride to end in Heaven.
Verse to remember: John 1:1-15
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