Do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say. (Matt. 10:19)
LIGHTHOUSES ARE BUILT on solid rock or on poured concrete whenever possible. Some lights guide ships into harbor, and others warn of danger. If a light doesn’t shine through the storm and the darkness, nearby ships risk crashing into the rocks, and everyone on them may be lost. That’s why lighthouses are built on solid foundations that stand firm even in hurricanes.
Every light has a different flash pattern so that sailors can identify it and know where they are. Then their charts tell them the safest way around the danger—north or south, east or west—in order to avoid disaster.
As Christians, we are lighthouses, too. Matthew 5:16 directs each of us, “Let your light shine before men.” When we obey, we guide others to Jesus or warn them of the danger of turning their backs on Him. But the responsibility makes me nervous. Like programming an incorrect flash code, the wrong words could actually lead to disaster rather than prevent it. In today’s passage, Jesus told us not to worry. If we rely on the Holy Spirit, we will speak His words, not ours.
When we rely on ourselves, our lights tremble and shake before the world and disappear when the storms come. But lights built on the firm foundation of Jesus Christ withstand the strongest hurricanes.
Talk to your neighbor about Christ.
Kathryn Page Camp enjoys photography, reading, and sailing Lake Michigan with her husband of thirty-five years.
