What are the greatest light in your house? Are they the 500 watt halogen babies that light up your front and backyards—you know, the ones that are often mistaken for an airstrip by passing planes? Is it the elegant chandelier in your stately dining room? Maybe it’s the lava lamp you hide in the den—a relic from a different time in your life.

    When you think about it, the most important lights aren’t the ones that have center stage in your home, nor are they the ones that garner the most attention when they’re on. The only time you would even notice these lights would be when they’re not there. To me the most important light, with the exception of the one in the refrigerator, is the night light in the upstairs hall. Why? Because it helps me navigate around the car and toy land mines that sometimes lie in wait between our bedroom and my urgent late night pit stops.

It is the steadfast night lights of the faith that keep the Church from stubbing its toe.

    Rick Warren, in his book The Purpose Driven Church uses this same analogy of the small, but more useful lights in the home to make the point that “small ministries often make the greatest difference.” In the Church, there are many 500 watt halogens the great preachers that are well known and have great impact. I, for one, am thankful for their contribution to the cause of Christ. But, in the big picture context of the Church, I think these men would all agree with me that it is the local minister, the faithful Sunday School teacher, the army of humble servants in the small churches that have an even greater impact. It is the steadfast night lights of the faith that keep the Church from stubbing its toe.

    So what do we learn about night lights and the Kingdom?

•     Small does not equal insignificant. You may not be a writer or a world-famous preacher or teacher, but you can change lives by consistently shining your light!

•     The Kingdom needs night lights. It’s great to have the ministries of the giants of the faith, but without the small, local, personal, roll up your sleeves and get involved kind of night light ministries that make up the majority of the Body, the giants wouldn’t be half as effective.

•     Finally, don’t look for the limelight, serve where you are! Often we think that where we are is only a stepping stone to something bigger and better down the road, but that's crazy! Bigger isn’t necessarily better and no place is a stepping stone if you have your head on straight. Where you are today is the place you can be used to touch lives for eternity.

    The amazing thing about serving the Lord is that we’re only called to be faithful. Faithful to live lives of humble service, obedience, and integrity. As long as we’re doing that, the Lord will use our efforts to show the way through the darkness. Praise God that night lights do sometimes shine the brightest!

HEARTLIGHT(R) Magazine is a ministry of loving Christians and the Westover Hills church of Christ.
Edited by Phil Ware and Paul Lee.
Copyright © 1996-97, Heartlight, Inc., 8332 Mesa Drive, Austin, TX 78759.
Article copyright © 1997, Grant MacDonald. Used by permission.
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