I Prefer Paper Towels

"Ye are the light of the world.  A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid.  Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.  Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." - Matthew 5:14-16

 Do you remember the childhood Sunday School song, "This little light of mine"?  Most do.  I certainly do.  Not only have I always enjoyed singing it, but it has always impressed a great truth upon my heart: God wants me to stand out for Him and I therefore shouldn't be afraid to shine for Him, lighting the way to Him for others.  Such a simple song carries quite a punch when we really think about it.

Did you also take notice, however, to the emboldened words above?  Christ, in His parable, I believe is alluding to a distinction between two audiences who are to behold our light: those "in the house" (a phrase very well known to the House of Israel), and all other "men."  We could parallel this today in the age of His grace as believers, Christians,  and unbelievers, non-Christians. 

Paul draws upon this when he spoke to the Corinthians as he was about to explain their calling in Christ to be His ambassadors (i.e. shining lights as representatives in a foreign land).  He tells them, "Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences" (2 Cor. 5:11).  We stand with our light evident before 3 individuals or groups here: first God, then believers ("manifest in your consciences," the Christian recipients of the letter) and finally unbelievers (the "men").

Why do I go through all of this today?  Simple. It's because I believe, deep down - where the rubber meets the road - we most often forget about at least one of these "target" audiences.  One month, we may be super burdened for the "lost" or those who haven't placed their faith in Jesus Christ as the payment for their sins.  As we focus to that end, we easily lose sight of the other areas God desires us to focus on as well - fellow believers and Him!

Don't get me wrong, please!  Focusing and having a deep burden of the Lord for any of these 3 groups of people is a wonderfully good thing.  Let's not, however, substitute good things for the greatest things.  Three times, the Apostle Paul exhorts us to "walk worthy" of all God has given us and desires of us (Eph. 4:1; Col. 1:10; 1 Thess. 2:12).  To walk worthy literally means to be balanced, walking "in line" with what I've been given and what's required of me - just like the circus act walking "in line" balancing on the super-sky-high tight rope!  If they are to slip and walk out of line - we know what would happen.  Praise the Lord for nets!  Praise Him even more for His grace that provides a safety net for us when we fall out of line of walking worthy of our calling.  His net saves us, protects us and allows us to get back on the tight rope, walking in line with Him again.

This being said, our lives are to be balanced all around.  We mustn't focus on encouraging fellow believers alone - a good thing, but also focus on our own relationship with the Lord and helping those who don't have a relationship at all with God to seek one!  Balance.

Confession is good for the soul, so here goes:  I'm out of balance.  I like to focus on 2 of the 3 groups to the demise of the other.  I've been doing a lot of thinking about this lately.  I believe it's because I've come to prefer paper towels.  Let me explain.

Paper towels are known for being absorbent.  They soak things up.  I know that my God "soaks up"  all of the time I offer Him.  He greatly delights in the offering of my open heart to Him (Ps.. 51:17; 1 Sam. 15:22).  This must be first and foremost.  As we center upon this relationship - our Source for all things - we are then able to turn outward and share all that God has done and is doing in our lives.  Likewise, there are those around us who, like paper towels, soak up what we share regarding the Lord.  This, most often, happens to be fellow Christians.

Paul likens us to "earthen vessels" in 2 Corinthians 4:7 - clay pots, mud jugs.  As He fills us with His truth,  grace and empowerment, it overflows from our vessel to those around us.  Just as in the kitchen when we have something overflow from our cup to the counter beneath, we use a paper towel to soak it up.  I like paper towels because they make my job easier.

Spiritually speaking, God's working in our lives overflows and those around us see this.  They can either reject this or they can receive it - soaking it up!  In my personal experience, the group of people that this most often applies is fellow Christians, believers who have an open heart to God, desiring to soak up His truth and comfort.  I love to "spill" my spiritual heart around these people because they are paper towels; they will soak it up and receive it, appreciating it (like you, however is reading this blog right now).  What I don't like is messes - sharing what God is doing and it falling on deaf ears.  I don't like leaving spilled drink on the counter.

Truth is, however, that whenever we are sharing Him to both the lost and found, we can't control how they receive it.  We are asked to moreover be "faithful" (1 Cor. 4:2).  We must be thankful for the paper towels that God sends along our way through the years.  We must focus on our relationship with Him, allowing Him to shine through us, overflowing to those around us despite who receives it or not.  Remember, water can't be soaked up if it's never spilled.  We are asked to be faithful to spill - share His love, His gospel and His Word with fellow believers and those who yet need His salvation.

I am burdened to not only spill in safety from now on - that is only near paper towels who will soak up my overflow.  I desire to shine for Him to those who are dead in their sins, blinded from the goodness and salvation of God.  I pray for boldness in standing for Him towards those that are "without."  I pray for His strengthening and empowerment.

One final perspective...

I've spilled things before in the kitchen.  I get busy, side tracked and get moved away from the spill before I get to clean it up.  That is to say, someone else comes along and absorbs the spill with a paper towel and I didn't even know about it.  In a very real way, this is how things work when we share Christ with others - both believers and non-believers.  We plant the seed - make the spill, but "God gives the increase" in His timing.  He is the One that works in the others hearts to receive what we've shared (1 Cor. 3:5-7).  Let's each desire to be faithful in "planting" and "spilling" Jesus Christ to those in our world.  Leave the results to Him.  Let us be faithful.

P.S.  Thanks for being a paper towel.  You encourage me.