Are you living like a lamp in the light section?

Women may be able to joyfully devour hours worth of shopping at the mall, but men have their version of shopping prowess as well.

For D.A., it was a long outing in Home Depot that resulted in learning a life lesson:

“One Saturday, I had the opportunity to spend some quality time at Home Depot. Walking from aisle to aisle, I came upon the light section. It’s the brightest area in the store! There are all kinds of lights, from lamps, to ceiling fans, to fancy chandeliers. I began to think this is one section in the store that no one complains is too dim, or that they need some light to help them see. There they are … all of them! All gathered in one place!”

D.A. summarized his visit to the store:

“It got me thinking about churches, youth groups, and evangelism. Indeed, many of our churches are like those lighting sections or lamp stores, we have so much light gathered together in one place. We don’t need more light! But the purpose of our light is not to gather it all together in one place. Ours is to go out into dark places and bring them light. So many churches only want another light in a place that is already well lit. Don’t be a light in the lamp section! We must leave the light section and go light the darkness.”

That’s similar to the message the Apostle Paul included in his writing to the Philippians:

“Do everything without complaining and arguing, so that no one can criticize you. Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people,” Philippians 2:14-15.

Are you living as a lamp in a dark place? Or do you spend most of your time hanging out in the lamp section?

Scotty