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Salt & Light of World
【Witness,
by Life】Jesus stressed the positive effect we can have on others when he said,
“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give
glory to your Father who is in heaven.” But if sin dims our testimony so that
our “light” is no longer visible, some of those might have influenced for
Christ may drift on in spiritual darkness.
On
a dark and stormy night, with waves piling up like mountains on Lake Erie, a
boat rocked and plunged near the
But,
in the darkness, he missed the channel and the vessel was dashed to pieces on
the rocks. Many lives were lost in a watery grave. This incident moved Philip
P. Bliss to write the familiar hymn, “Let the Lower Lights Be Burning.”
【Good Example】Imagine that you're walking through your neighborhood supermarket when
you approach a display featuring a new kind of shoe polish. The attending
salesperson grabs your attention with a big smile, and before you can politely
move on to the peanut butter you get the following line: "This miracle of
modern science will bring luster to dull leather and prolong the life of your
shoes. Its secret lies in the rare
mixture of oils extracted from the bone marrow of a sperm whale. The result is so good that if your
neighbor runs out of polish, you won't be embarrassed to lend him yours. Sure it costs more -- $3.75 for a small
can. But you really can't afford not
to buy it." Up to this point
you've been patient with him. But
now you've had your fill. So you
say, "I'm sure you believe in your fancy wax. But so what! From what I can see, your shoe polish
doesn't do any
better job than the brand I usually buy for $3.00 less. If what you're selling is so great, why
do your shoes look no different than mine?
Our efforts to interest others in
the Christian life are sometimes just as unconvincing.