The topic of light and its effectiveness has been a recurring theme for me lately. If you notice, my last blog was about light as well! I'm not sure what God is trying to tell me, but I do know that it has made me reflect on my own life and whether or not I am being an effective light bearer. The question that I've had to ask myself is,
"If I'm not more powerful than the darkness around me, am I really a light?"
Here is the reality, the bible says in Matthew 7:16 that a tree is judged or recognized by the fruit that it bears. Notice that it doesn't say we are judged by our leaves or the color of the branches or the flowers. This tells me that it doesn't matter how beautiful you look or how eloquently you can speak, it means nothing if you are not producing any fruit. It means you look pretty … and that's about it.
When I look at light in the same context, it is judged by the power that it emanates. If I have a dim light, then it sheds light among a small radius. If I have a great light with high wattage, then it will shed light across a much larger area. It matters not how far or how large your radius of influence is. What matters is that if you say you are a light, that you perform like a light does and dispel the darkness around you. If a lamp can not shed light in the surrounding darkness, then it is nothing more than a pretty lamp, a nice piece of decorative art, and it will be treated as such.
This weekend I went to a Jesus Culture concert and there was a speaker who gave a short message about the battle between light and darkness. This was his summary of the battle …
THERE. IS. NO. COMPETITION. BETWEEN. LIGHT. AND. DARK!
The reason why is because everyone knows that light is more powerful than darkness, point blank period. Even darkness knows that! When light enters a room, darkness flees. It can't compete. It has no choice, it has no rights, it doesn't even put up a fight. When we enter a room and turn the light switch on, we don't wait around in the room watching a battle unfold in hopes that the light will overcome. Before you turn a lamp on, do you pray,"Please God, if it be your will, let the lightness defeat the darkness this time. I'd really like to be able to read my book tonight, and if the light doesn't overpower the dark in this room I won't be able to read a thing"???
NO, OF COURSE NOT! Instead, you go into the situation boldly and confidently, knowing that turning on a light will make the darkness flee.
But if the darkness doesn't flee, then you know there is a problem.
But Kristina, why do we approach darkness as if it has any sort of power?? And if there is no real battle between my light and the darkness around me, then why is there darkness around me?
I THOUGHT YOU'D NEVER ASK! 
Matthew 5:15 says, "No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand where it gives light to everyone in the house." Therefore, your battle is not against the darkness, but it is against the basket that is keeping your light hidden! Get rid of that basket, and SHINE! Sometimes Christians take a back seat. We allow everyone else to speak loud and proud about their convictions and to push, rather aggressively, their agendas. But when it is our turn to be loud and proud, we hide under a basket. That basket is the only reason that darkness exists and it is the only thing keeping you from shining at your full potential. So whatever the "basket" is in your life, toss it out of the way! The Holy Spirit shining inside of you is too beautiful of a light to be hiding, and in this dark world there is NOTHING to fear, for the battle has already been won! Light wins. The end. Bye Bye Basket!
