Stars. The pitch black midnight sky would envelope us without them. We would be blindly moving in the darkness in fear, unsure if we would make it out alive without the moon’s guidance and the stars spangled around us. Thank God for the stars.

Recently, this world seems like a world without stars. I see natural disasters coming left and right, I see bloodied bodies on the streets, I see hate crimes committed in the name of religion, I see politics that look eerily similar to what I’ve read only in fiction books, but still I see a light. Even though it seems like all of humanity as we know it might not make it to see tomorrow because of our own selfishness, I look to the stars.

We’ve grown to call our celebrities “stars”, but they aren’t the ones I look to necessarily. They might bear the same name, but they too fade away and add to the despair I see on this earth. Whitney Houston. Prince. Muhammad Ali. These stars, legends even, have faded away and only their legacies remain. Their deaths have caused more grief and confusion in this dark world, but yet I press towards the Light.

This Light of mine is in us. Each and every one of us. We are called to be the Light. And although the world is dark and ominous, it has created the perfect setting for us to shine. The darker it gets, the brighter you can shine. I think you know deep down inside that this is what you are called to do. It’s your purpose. Your destiny. Your legacy. What’s inside of you is what the world is searching for and if it’s inside of you, no one and no thing can take it away.  So shine. Shine while the world’s hurting. Shine while the world’s grieving. Shine amongst confusion. Shine in the loneliness, the emptiness. Shine unapologetically.

SHINE: (verb)

to emit rays of light

to be bright by reflection of light

to be eminent, conspicuous, or distinguished 

to perform extremely well 

to have a bright glowing appearance 

to be conspicuously evident or clear

When you shine in an environment, it means that there’s something about you that’s different from the rest. You stand out. Your abilities are elevated.  People are noticing you. You’re not even going out of your way to gain recognition, you’re just being you. Likewise, as a star that shines in this world, all you have to do is be you. Be who you’re called to be. Operate in your natural gifts. Make a difference. You can shine brightly because of what’s already in you. God is within you, you will not fail.

So don’t be afraid of the spotlight. The darkness around you might be intimidating and you might be feeling dark yourself. That’s the reality of being the Light. The darkness still affects you. But then, remind yourself, how much darker the world would be if you didn’t shine. The darkness would envelope the world as we know it and there would be a whole lot of blind fear. It’s the Light’s job to shine in the darkness for the world to see. You can’t keep the Light to yourself, that’s how we get to these dark places to begin with. We can’t control everything, especially the natural courses of this life, but we can control our Light. We can ask God, our moon, to beam on our path giving us hope and guidance along the way. We can shed light to prevent others from getting lost in the darkness and stumbling along the way.

So shine. Shine on with the stars in the midnight sky. Shine in the darkness. Let the “moon” guide you. Get up from where you’ve been hiding or even trying to blend in with this dark world.  We can’t afford to have any more people passively standing by and absorbing the darkness. BE the Light that the world desperately needs. It’s already in you. I can see it.

“You’re here to be LIGHT, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We’re going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don’t think I’m going to hide you under  a bucket, do you? I’m putting you on a light stand. Now that I’ve put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand – SHINE!” Matthew 5:15 MSG