What Does It Mean to Be a Light Bearer for Christ?
Have you ever wondered why God doesn’t provide what we pray for immediately? Why world peace seems elusive despite our prayers, or why healing doesn’t always come when we ask for it? There’s a powerful story that illustrates this struggle perfectly.
The Seed Store: Understanding God’s Timing
A woman once entered a store where she met Jesus behind the counter. When she asked if He worked there, He replied that He owned the store. The shelves displayed pictures of everything we long for – world peace, family harmony, healing, and unity. After making her list of desires, Jesus went to the back and returned with small seed packets.
When the confused woman asked what these were, Jesus explained: “They’re seeds. You take them home, plant them, water them, and nurture them, and they will come into being. Did you think you would get everything ready to go?”
The woman looked at the seeds, then at Jesus, and walked out empty-handed.
Why Do We Get Frustrated When God Doesn’t Answer Immediately?
Many of us can relate to this woman’s disappointment. We pray earnestly, serve faithfully, and invite others to faith, yet we rarely see immediate results. Like the servant in Isaiah who expressed exhaustion from his efforts that seemed to make no difference, we can feel discouraged when our spiritual labor appears fruitless.
God’s Bigger Plan: Beyond Our Comfort Zones
When the servant in Isaiah brought his frustrations to God, the response wasn’t what he expected. God didn’t say his work was insignificant or that he should focus only on his own people. Instead, God expanded his vision: “I am going to send you out to all corners of the world. I’m going to send you out to be a light to all people in all places, everywhere.”
This calling extends far beyond our comfort zones. It pushes us to share God’s love not just with those we know and feel comfortable around, but with everyone we encounter.
What Does Being an Evangelist Really Look Like?
Consider the story of two siblings, Billy and Jean, both raised in a loving Christian home. Billy became Billy Graham, preaching to millions in stadiums worldwide. Jean took a different path – she married, raised three children, and shared the gospel through gentle care in her living room, offering the best hugs and loving those around her in simple ways.
When both had passed away, Jean’s husband had a dream where God spoke to them both: “Here are two of my best evangelists.” God praised Billy for sharing good news globally, then turned to Jean and said, “You are one of my best evangelists. You have loved people with the love that I have. You have shared the good news in ways that most people would not expect.”
How Can We Plant Seeds of God’s Love?
Being a light bearer doesn’t always mean preaching to crowds. It often means planting seeds of love, care, and compassion without knowing if we’ll ever see the final result. This might look like:
- Noticing someone at work who seems invisible to others and acknowledging their presence
- Volunteering at places where we meet people different from ourselves
- Tutoring, working at homeless shelters, or serving at food pantries
- Letting our actions speak louder than our words
- Sharing Christ’s love through simple acts of kindness and genuine care
Why Don’t We Always See the Results?
The woman in the seed store didn’t want to take the packets home because she couldn’t guarantee seeing what they would grow into. Similarly, we often resist spiritual work that doesn’t show immediate results. But light bearing requires faith – planting seeds of love and nurturing them while trusting God for the harvest.
Neither Billy Graham nor Jean always saw what people’s lives became after their encounters, but both faithfully shared Christ’s love in their unique ways.
Life Application
This week, challenge yourself to plant seeds of God’s love without expecting to see immediate results. Step outside your comfort zone and show Christ’s light to someone who might not expect it. This could be as simple as genuinely acknowledging a coworker, volunteering in your community, or offering a kind word to a stranger.
Ask yourself these questions:
- What seeds of love, compassion, and grace can I plant this week?
- Where is God calling me to shine His light outside my comfort zone?
- How can I show Christ’s love through my actions, even if I never see the final outcome?
- Am I willing to trust God with the harvest while I focus on faithful planting?
Remember, God calls us to be light bearers not because we’ll always see the results, but because He will. Every seed of love we plant makes a difference in the world, even when we can’t see it growing.