Matthew 5:14-16 (NIV)
“ You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”

Phil. 1:27-30 (NIV)
“Whatever happens conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in one spirit, contending as one man for the faith of the gospel without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you. This is a sign to them that they will be destroyed, but that you will be saved-and that by God. For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for Him, since you are going through the same struggle you saw I had, and now hear that I still have.”

Light dispels darkness. As Christians we are called to overcome the darkness; to make a difference to the people around us. In Jesus we are overcomers; we are called to understand God’s will for the day; to be obedient and say yes Lord, yes! This reminds us of a Jewish man named Paul. His initial mission was to persecute, destroy and stone Christians. He was called to dispel the new “Christian religion.” Paul gave his approval to the stoning of Stephen, a man full of God’s grace and power; a man filled by the Holy Spirit. Stephen’s martyring was for the glory of God. As for Paul, he wound up being knocked off his horse and blinded on the road to Damascus. This led Paul to a tremendous conversion experience, to be the Lord’s chosen instrument; to be a light to the gentiles and the people of Israel. Paul was filled by the Holy Spirit and became a missionary for Jesus Christ-to preach the Gospel.

Just like Paul, God is calling us to excellence in Him-to strive for this calling. The best way to live out lives of excellence, far above par is to “Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” Matthew 6:33 (KJB). As earthly fathers we ask our children to strive to be the best they can be, to go far beyond mediocrity. Our heavenly Father certainly wants His people to be the very best they can be for the Lord. God wants us to flourish. Our faithful Lord knows the number of our days. Let us not waste time, let us not have excuse upon excuse, but let us live up to our fullest potential in Jesus Christ. God’s excellence calls us to live our lives worthy of His calling. Our lifestyle speaks volumes about the people we are in Christ. Much more important than the words we speak are the actions we illustrate towards others.

Are you striving to love? Do you “Love the Lord with all our heart, soul, mind and strength” Mark 12:30 (NASB) Are we loving people for Jesus and bringing them into the Kingdom of God? As Christians we are constantly being called to love people. “And now three things remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love” 1 Corinthians 13:13 (NIV).

We are called to minister to people spiritually, physically, emotionally and financially. All of us should have the courage to minister for God-to step out and minister to our families, friends, coworkers and anyone else who the Lord sends along our path. One of our best attributes as a Christian is loyalty. Be loyal to your Pastor, family and friends. Even when people make mistakes, and we all have, we should be loyal. We should have enough resiliency in the Lord to bounce back and go forward in the Lord-to press on toward the goal of being soul savers for Jesus Christ. We should bounce for Jesus and remember that King David was resilient and

St. Paul was resilient. They were “God chasers” who gave their hearts to the Lord, far beyond any circumstances in their lives. We need to stretch beyond our comfort zones and reach the lost.

Let us be disciplined people for the Lord. We need to pray more, read God’s word more, seek

Christian fellowship, and go through spiritually conditioning for Jesus Christ. Not only will this make our lives better, but it will make us more effective ministers for the Lord. Just as some of us exercise our bodies physically, how much more important is it to be spiritually disciplined.

We must practice the presence of God-work out for God. The more time we give to the Lord and strive for lives of excellence in the Lord, the better our lives will be in the Lord. Our relationship with God will be better, our relationships with others will be better, and our own walk in the Lord will be better.

Every year football players strive to win the Super Bowl trophy which will eventually rust. But we who are Christians are striving for an eternal trophy. Let’s not be people who compromise. Let’s be people who stand firm in the Lord and remember “If God is for us, who can be against us” Romans 8:31 (NIV)! Also, let us remember how important it is to be in peaceful harmony with our brothers and sisters. As we let the Holy Spirit indwell in us we know we must put aside our differences with fellow believers and be one united body in Christ. The men and women of the Church must have a vision for the same goals and must continually strive and press on in the Lord. There is power in the Lord when your local body comes together in one accord and is focused in one direction for Jesus Christ. God wants to bless the Church and fulfill the vision He gives your church. So let’s get rid of the things which don’t matter and let’s allow the Holy Spirit to bring our Christian community into one accord. “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us” Hebrews 12:1 (NIV).

Conduct yourself as worthy of being a child of the King, always responding to the call of Jesus Christ. Be joyful always; pray before you speak; listen closely to God and closely to others; and let the power of the Holy Spirit fill you and guide you and give you the words you’re called to say. “May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer” Psalm 19:14 (NIV). Give thanks in all circumstances and know that our faithful God will give you all the strength you need to accomplish the works He has prepared for you. “I can do everything through Him who gives me strength” Phil. 4:13 (NIV).

“For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord” Eph. 5:8-10 (NIV). Finally, let us be men, women and children who use all the gifts God has given us for the promotion of the gospel of Jesus Christ and the furtherance of His Kingdom.

Amen!