Keep It Fresh

Do you remember the old coal oil lamps? They gave off quite a bit of light when properly maintained. But if the chimney was allowed to become darkened by soot, or if the wick was left untrimmed then the light became significantly dimmer. Light still shined but not nearly so brightly. Impurities hamper the light. A dim light is functional but its scope of usefullness is limited, whereas a bright light serves a far greater area.

Jesus said in Matthew 5:14 that we are the light of the world. In the next verse He noted that a light is not placed under a basket but rather is put on a candlestick so that it benefits all in the house. When we shine brightly we not only receive benefit from the light but we also provide helpful light to others.

Let us consider the parts of a lamp and relate them to our lives. First is the flame, the light itself. Jesus is the light and He never goes out in a believers life. Upon salvation we are born-again into Christ. He never leaves us nor forsakes us. That is a precious promise from Jesus. So we always have the Light.

Next is the oil. It is the fuel for the flame. Impurities mingled with the oil will affect the amount of light. Oil represents the presense and work of the Holy Spirit. Ephesians 1:13-14 tell us that when we were saved we were sealed with the Holy Spirit who is the earnest of our salvation. He is the down-payment, if you will. That means that we always have fuel. The Light and the fuel are given to us. We do not earn nor can we purchase either. Salvation is the gift of God as Ephesians 2:8-9 says. Sometimes we try to use our own abilities as fuel but it only gets in the way of the true Oil. As I heard evangelist Gene Williams once say, "I never did one good work before I got saved and I never did one good work after I got saved. The good works done through me after salvation were all performed by the Holy Spirit." He was right. Even when we mean well, our efforts amount to impurities mingled with the Oil.

We come to the wick. It is where the heat of the flame, the air, and the fuel combust into light. When the wick is clean, the light is bright. The wick represents us. We shine brightly when we remain in right fellowship with the Father. When we allow sin into our lives then we, like a dirty wick, grow dimmer and dimmer. To clean a wick, we trim off the sooty black end down to new white material. God has to trim us from time to time. In John 15:2, Jesus said that we will be purged (pruned) so that we can bear more fruit. For our example of a lamp, that means that God trims our wick so we can give off more light. Also, we must be mindful of sin to confess and forsake it. God said in I John 1:9 that He would faithfully forgive and cleanse us when we do.

Lastly, the light is enhanced by the chimney. Again, soot negatively affects the ability of the chimney to function properly. To me, the chimney is those near us that our light influences. Cares for this world are like soot in a chimney. We can get so caught up in daily concerns, worries, and struggles that they cloud the the light we were meant to display. Sometimes we need to wipe the chimney clean. We may have to look at our lives for built up clutter and remove it.

The light, that Jesus said we are, was meant to light the whole house. We and everyone in the house are supposed to be blessed by the Light. I am reminded of the old song "Give Me Oil in my Lamp."

Give me oil in my lamp, Keep me burning,
Give me oil in my lamp, I pray.
Give me oil in my lamp, Keep me burning,
Keep me burning Till the break of day.

Take a close look at the light you give. If it has grown dim because of sin, or the cares of this world, or even your own well-intentioned efforts, then do some trimming. Keep it fresh. Someone may need your light to show them the way to God.

Because He lives,

Robby