12 Therefore, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed me, not only in my presence, but much more now in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; 13 for it is God who is at work in you, enabling you both to will and to work for his good pleasure.
14 Do all things without murmuring and arguing, 15 so that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, in which you shine like stars in the world. 16 It is by your holding fast to the word of life that I can boast on the day of Christ that I did not run in vain or labor in vain. 17 But even if I am being poured out as a libation over the sacrifice and the offering of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you— 18 and in the same way you also must be glad and rejoice with me.
THOUGHTS by Katie Kane, junior at GMU:
Today's passage tells us to "shine like stars in the world." It's a vivid image – thinking of the stars shining in the night sky. I'm taking an astrobiology class right now, and we're learning all about stars – how stars are created and destroyed, how the planets that orbit them are formed, and the effects they have on the universe around them, and a bunch of technical jargon. But every time I go outside at night and look up, I'm not thinking about any of that. I think about how beautiful they are, how vast the universe is, and how much I love looking at the night sky.
And now we're being told to shine like those stars. And not in some far-off sky or distant solar system, either. We're told to shine like stars within the world that we inhabit daily. It sounds like a big job! But as Christians, we have that job entrusted to us – people can and do shine like stars in other peoples' lives, sometimes without even knowing it. It's not always huge bursts of brightness that affect the world around us; sometimes all it takes is to just be you. Often, it's a matter of remembering the unique gifts and talents we each have, and then using them to help our communities. And when we can't do it, when we feel like our light is dimming, we have each other to help us recharge – to remind each other of our own beautiful light, which might shine differently for each person, but still shines. In the community of Christians, we are never alone. So as you go through each day, remember to shine your light on others, and take time to notice and appreciate the light that others are shining on you!
PRAYER adapted from a prayer from Concordia Publishing House's "My Prayer Book":
Dear Father in heaven, thank You for all of my blessings of body and mind. Help me to make the most of them, and help me to be myself. Too often I want to be or act like somebody else, and I forget that I have talents to use as You have given me. Help me to understand myself, to see who I am and what I can do, and then to have the wisdom, courage, and endurance to do it. Help me to see Your beauty and wisdom in the diversity of talents and powers, and help myself and others to use these gifts for the joy and benefit of all people. Lord, above all, strengthen my faith and trust in You that I may serve the purpose for which you created me, and let my light shine in the world. Amen
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Katie Kane is a junior at GMU and a Peer Minister with LCM at GMU.
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