Shine the light on your words and thoughts

Andrea Delwiche

“Whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God” (John 3:21).

Do you ever think about the motivation behind words and ideas that you might throw out to others? Do you wonder if the thoughts that lead to those words are of God? Sometimes our words can take on a veneer of Christianity, but in actuality they stand in opposition to Jesus’ teachings.

It can certainly happen these days. Words and ideas come to us prepackaged. They trigger emotions in us—fear, hatred, self-preservation. We receive them, and to ease our own anxiety, we pass them on to others. They may even sound like Christianity as we’ve heard it represented by people whom we love and respect but, in actuality, may have nothing to do with Christ and his love.

How can we guard against this false religion? We can take time to hold thoughts and words up to the light of Christ. Prayerfully read through the gospels—Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John—to see what was important to Jesus. How did he live? What did he prioritize? Ask the Spirit to help sort out longings and fears, to separate what is of Christ and what is a construct of human hatred masquerading as Christ. 

Lord Jesus, let your light shine among us. Give us courage to hold every thought and action up to the light of your goodness and truth. Help us change where we need to change. Amen.

Devotional used by permission of Time of Grace®. For more information, visit www.timeofgrace.org