As Christians, we like to talk about light a lot. And why shouldn’t we? God is light, and He calls us to be lights to the world around us! In fact, that’s one of the goals for this blog: to raise up the next generation of Christians to be lights for the world. And while converting the entire world to Christianity requires more than one person, it also takes each of us starting where we are and learning to shine in our daily lives. Because that is what’s really going to start a movement–each of us shining in our everyday lives, making a difference and bringing God’s love to those around us. And the fruit of this is abundant: bringing other people to the faith, improving your own spiritual life, and making the world around you a better place by bringing Jesus to those around you.

That’s how we really learn to shine–we become like Jesus. Jesus embodied love during His life on Earth. What He taught was different than any other culture or religion–a God Who loved His people infinitely more than they deserved, and fought for them in their battles. A Father Who saw us as His children and wanted to draw us closer to Him. He taught of God, Who sent His Son to die on the cross for us. He taught radical love that knew no limit. And not only is this the love Jesus preached, it is the love He practiced. We can learn to shine by becoming this love for other people, bringing God’s radical love into every situation, every relationship, every day of our lives. So how do we begin?

Shine by Loving

Love is the root of every possible way to shine in this world. From love comes every other good, every other virtue. Repetitive as this may be, the real answer to ‘what would Jesus do’ is this: He would love. So that is what we’re supposed to do as well–love those around us in a complete and radical way. This means we can’t just love the way the world teaches us to–we have to love as Jesus did. We have to find a love that isn’t self-focused, but is instead turned outward, towards the people nearest to us. Our siblings, our parents, our neighbors, our community. This charity finds the people we can help and gives us permission to love them with no fear. God is greater than any possible negative outcome. Jesus lived this way completely throughout His life, all the way to death on the Cross, and we are called to imitate Him in His love. God wants us to focus on the people around us, even when it can be hard. Radical love is a sacrifice, but God is right there in it. His sacrifice was an invitation to follow Him down the road of radical love. When it gets hard to keep loving this way, remember that God did it first, and He is completely with you in this. Jesus lived His life this way. Trust that He can give you the strength and grace to imitate Him. 

Learning to Love

But how can we begin to practice this ‘radical love’? How can we learn to fully give ourselves to others? Well, listen to the words of St. Teresa of Calcutta: “If you want to change the world, go home and love your family.” You don’t need to become a missionary or a pastor to spread God’s love to people. Most of us are called to ordinary lives, ministering by living those lives according to God’s Word. We don’t need the situation to change before we decide to love–we can choose love now, where we are, and let the situation change on God’s time. Begin to love right where you are by turning your attention to those closest to you: your family and friends. Practice loving your siblings, if you have them, and work on being obedient to your parents. Look for ways you can help out, even when no one asks you to. And continue to spend time with God in prayer and His Word each day, allowing Him to fill you with His Holy Spirit and give you grace. Pray that He will fill you with the virtue of love–not only for your family and those around you, but for Him as well. Ask God for the graces to see the face of Jesus in everyone you meet, and to love them completely. 

Be Who God Made You to Be

God made each and every one of us unique. That means we all have different strengths and talents. As you learn to shine in the world around you, remember that you don’t have to fit into some kind of ‘mold’. I know there are people who seem to be perfect, showing God’s love in incredible ways, and it can be tempting to want to be exactly like them. And while that’s good to an extent, don’t forget that we’re each different people with different gifts. There is no ‘perfect Christian’ that will love fully all of the time. There are wonderful people who display God’s love in a beautiful way, but those people still have flaws and need God’s mercy just as much as the rest of us. 

Use the talents God has given you to serve Him where you are. Allow Him to show you new ways of bringing His light into the world, no matter what your situation or circumstance. Don’t worry about being a photocopy of someone else. Instead, “Be who God meant you to be and you will set the world on fire.” –St. Catherine of Siena.

Set the World On Fire

Shining draws the attention of those around you. Whether you realize it or not, when you live like Christ, people notice. This is how we can change the world. Our situation doesn’t have to change for us to begin–you can start shining right now, right where you are. Keep your eyes on God and your neighbor, loving where you are and trusting that God is using you in every circumstance. Allow yourself to put others first, trusting in God to help you. And let yourself be imperfect, because all of us will make mistakes. God alone is fully good, and we can only do our best. Just keep going, keep praying, and slowly, we can build up a generation that will set this world on fire for Christ.