The Lamp
Hey! Can you believe how long it’s been since we were together?!? I missed you!!! Dean and I had a wonderful trip to the North East visiting family and working through a Life Plan Session. Thank you for your prayers. 💖
The last time we were together, right after Easter, we talked about putting New Wine in old wine skins and how we can gravitate towards the familiar. I really liked how that fell after Easter, as a very practial way to walk out being a Jesus-Follower. Check out the New Wine blog if you need a refresh on that. I’d like to continue that theme this week in Luke 11: 33-36:
“No one lights a lamp and puts it in a place where it will be hidden, or under a bowl.
Instead he puts it on it’s stand, so that those who come in may see the light.
Your eye is the lamp of your body.
When your eye is good, your whole body is also full of light.
But when they are bad, your body also is full of darkness.
See to it, then, that the light within you is not darkness.
Therefore, if your whole body is full of light, and no part of it dark,
it will be completely lighted, as when the light of a lamp shines on you.”
After reading these verses, I asked myself how do I know my eyes are good so my body can be filled with light? I think a good question to ask ourselves is: “How do I process or take in life?” Because life can be hard, confusing and overwhelming at times. We can deal with disappointment or hurt and all of that can skew how we see life and then ultimately dim the light of our life as a Jesus-Follower.
You know I know I love it so, let’s get a little nerdy!!! 😊
*The Greek word for “GOOD” here is “Haplous” = single, focused, clear, healthy, undivided, sincere and in certain occasions generous. Having a “good eye” means we have a clear, undistracted, spiritually healthy way of seeing. Which is a window (Lamp) to our inner life.
When our eye is “GOOD” we are clear, focused on God, truth and righteousness. Our inner life is full of light, understanding purity and spiritual clarity.
*The Greek word for “BAD” is “Poneros” = clouded, divided, focused on darkenss, selfishness, envy or sin. Our inner life becomes dark. Having a “BAD” eye means we are consumed with greed, envy or negativity. We are spiritually blind or resistent to truth, living with a divided heart.
After the Resurrection, we are given new lives. We become Jesus-Followers and that brings with it a responsibilty to walk in way that is honoring and bringing Glory to God.
Walking out our faith and healing in Jesus is a process and layered. It also requires us to lay aside our old ways, mindset, thoughts, behaviors and patterns.
Having a “GOOD EYE” in this crazy world means focusing on what is true and godly; having pure motives - not divided between God and other loyalities. It is seeing others with grace instead of judgment or envy. We are spiritually receptive to the truth.
As opposed to:
Having a “BAD EYE” where we are focus on greed, envy or being negative. We are spiritually blind and resistent to the truth, living with a divided heart.
We need to make sure we are “seeing” in a way that is healthy because it determines whether we live in light or darkness.
Given the choice of living with clear spiritual perceptions with light inside us or with distorted perceptions with darkness inside, it seems kind of obvious which we would choose.
But, we struggle with being judgy and negative and envious and fighting for position or what we “deserve”. When those are left unchecked we dim the light of Jesus working both in us and in those around us.
I don’t want to live like that! I want the Light of Jesus to be so freakin’ bright people need sunglasses. 😎🤭
Here’s a prayer for us to pray: “Abba, I thank You for showing me how to walk out being a Jesus-Follower. Forgive me for walking in envy, negativity or judgment of others. I am so thankful for all You have done for me in my life. I want to walk in that same grace towards others. Show me areas where I am not focusing on the right things and allowing darkness in my life. I want to walk in purity and grace and be full of light! In Jesus’ name, amen.”
Have the most amazing day, beloved of God!
All My Love ~
Jodi
Subscribe below to make sure you don’t miss a blog. xo