| As Christians, we are called upon to set an example | | | | Mk 14: 3 narrates how a woman came in with an |
| of what is good and pure in this world, so that people | | | | alabaster jar full of a very expensive perfume made |
| of other faiths will notice that there is something unique | | | | of pure nard, broke the jar and poured the perfume on |
| and different about the followers of Jesus Christ. | | | | Jesus' head. The perfume's rich fragrance was |
| "You are the light for the whole world....your light must | | | | revealed only when the jar was broken. |
| shine before people, so that they will see the good | | | | Our brokenness opens the door to the Lord and is an |
| things you do and praise your Father in heaven" (Mt 5: | | | | essential ingredient needed for our personal spiritual |
| 14 - 16). | | | | growth. It's only when we are broken that the Lord |
| While, just being good Christians does qualify us to be | | | | can mould us anew, to emit Christian fragrance around |
| "the light for the whole world", it certainly does not | | | | us. |
| provide us with a blanket permit for our light to "shine | | | | 3) Our willingness to forsake our comforts. |
| before people". | | | | Too much of good things make us spiritually lazy, and |
| The intensity of our Christian light's brightness will be | | | | the only way to personal spiritual growth is to give up |
| directly proportional to the degree of our personal | | | | these comforts. Lk 9: 57 tells us of a man who told |
| spiritual growth. | | | | Jesus that he would follow him wherever he went, but |
| Remember, even in the darkest night, no one notices a | | | | when Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes, and birds |
| dim bulb that flickers. Now, a neon glow sign. That is | | | | have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lie |
| something that attracts immediate attention, even at | | | | down and rest", the man was found wanting. Although |
| dawn or dusk. | | | | he was ready to follow Jesus anywhere, he wanted |
| The five ingredients needed for personal spiritual | | | | to cart his comforts along with him! |
| growth are: | | | | 4) Our ability to get our priorities right - Jesus should |
| 1) Our closeness to Jesus spiritually. | | | | come first at all times. |
| The moon has no light of its own, but only reflects the | | | | In Lk 9: 59, we read how Jesus called a man to follow |
| light it receives from the sun. Similarly, mankind merely | | | | him, but that man wanted to go back and bury his |
| reflects the spiritual light we receive from the Lord, and | | | | father first, and the Lord rebuked him, saying, "Let the |
| the degree of intensity of that light depends on how | | | | dead bury their own dead. You go and proclaim the |
| close we are spiritually to Jesus. | | | | Kingdom of God." There is no personal spiritual growth |
| Mt 4: 25 tells us: "Large crowds followed him from | | | | when we try to move ahead with the walking stick |
| Galilee and the Ten Towns, from Jerusalem, Judaea, | | | | held the wrong end up! |
| and the land on the other side of the Jordan." Yet, | | | | 5) Our ability to sever our earthly emotional |
| Jesus did not preach the beautiful Sermon on the | | | | attachments. |
| Mount to these crowds. | | | | Another man said, "I will follow you, sir, but first let me |
| He taught the secrets to true happiness only to those | | | | go and say goodbye to my family." Jesus said to him, |
| who were close to him, his disciples, for Mt 5: 1 - 2 | | | | "Anyone who starts to plough and then keeps looking |
| goes on to tell us: "Jesus saw the crowds and went | | | | back is no use to the Kingdom of God" (Lk 9: 61). |
| up a hill, where he sat down. His disciples gathered | | | | It is clear, therefore, that we can attain the zenith of |
| round him, and he began to teach them." | | | | our personal spiritual growth by giving first place in our |
| 2) Our brokenness, be it material, emotional, or even | | | | hearts to the Lord, and he will respond by making you |
| spiritual. | | | | a worthy beacon of Christian light. |