Do you ever find yourself going with the current in todays world or do you ever find yourself going against it?

People often tend to move in the same direction, even when it isn’t necessarily the right one and if you’re not careful, you can be pulled in the wrong direction too.

Maybe the news is frightening, or maybe you have too much on your mind and are starting to run on empty? 

The Bible says in Mat. 5:14 that, “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.”

But how can you be that light or that city the Bible refers to, when your focus is on all of the problems and distractions that this world offers?

Below are a 3 steps on how you can be the light that God calls you to be, in this dark world: 

Fill yourself up with the Word of God daily

Filling yourself with the Word, a.k.a The Bible, is not something you should only be doing on Sundays. You should fill yourself up with it daily, the way you fill up on that home cooked meal you loved that your grandma made you, growing up.

The Bible says to keep God's word close to your heart. Proverbs 3:3 and 6:21, speak of binding His teachings around your neck and writing them on your heart. 

I remember as a teenager, reading these verses and trying to imagine what actually wearing ‘understanding’ as a necklace, would be like. 

It would mean, never taking that necklace off no matter what I went through or experienced. 

It meant always leaning on Gods understanding, in all circumstances, even when I simply didn’t understand (Prov. 3:5-6).

It doesn’t say where it in your back pocket, as a way of taking it out when you need it. But instead it says, wear it in front of you and on you, as an effort to lead the way, in every situation.

Moreover, In Deuteronomy 6:6 and 11:18, it emphasizes the importance of internalizing God's words. These verses highlight the idea of actively treasuring and living by God's word, allowing it to guide your thoughts and your actions. The way that you do that, is by meditating on the Word day and night (Ps. 1:2). Not merely reading it just to check off a box, but reflecting on what you’ve read.

You do that, so that when a problem arises, you are so full of the Word of God, that you can’t help but interject any given circumstance with it. 

When you shift your focus to the living and transformative Word of God, your thought process changes, your posture changes and you start to walk differently.

Speak the Word

The Word is alive and able to bring about positive change. The Word of God sets things into motion, it makes things shift, it change atmospheres, because it is alive. 

The Bible says in Jer. 1:12, that God watches over His Word, to make sure that when those Words are spoken, they come into existence.

So rather than being bogged down by the weight of problems and simply allowing  negative situations, to alter your joy or your mood, speak life into it and watch it change. 

His Word says in Ezekiel 37, that speaking life, will bring about change. God lives in us, He has given us His authority to speak into what is dead, lifeless, or oppressed and give it life. He allows us, through faith, to change the atmosphere. In todays world, there is so much anxiety, depression, shame, unbelief and hopelessness. 

It’s time we take up our sword, which is the Word and turn anxiety into peace, depression into joy, shame into grace, unbelief into faith and hopelessness into expectation.

Invite the Holy Spirit

Inviting the Holy Spirit to guide you is key, because it says in John 14:12, that the guidance of the Holy Spirit is needed to be able to understand the Word of God. I’ll never forget when I turned 15, I had such a strong desire to understand God‘s Word, but I simply couldn’t, until I asked the Holy Spirit to help me understand it and then it was like the flood gates of heaven opened up for me. The Holy Spirit unlocked the treasures hidden in scripture from that day on.

Then after you’ve understood the Word, you still need the help of the Holy Spirit to then help transform your mind, as you reflect on the Word. The. He’ll help you descifre when and where, to shine the light of Jesus.

He will give you the discernment to be able to know what to speak into, and know what is needed of you, according to Gods will.

You are a bearer of truth. The truth will inevitably light up the darkest places. When you come into a dark, dead, foul smelling place, you can change the atmosphere, the aroma, of that place, for the better, and leave it better than when you entered. 

Guard your thoughts and your words, so that you can be that light that someone needs to get through their hard time, or season. 

So I ask you, if you’re not filled with light, then how can you shine the way you were called to?

There’s a big difference between going into the darkness and allowing it to dim your light, then going into the darkness and being a light that points people back to Jesus.

“Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, 'I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 8:12