Our Light...

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."


This is a quote from A Return To Love: Reflections on the Principles of A Course in Miracles by Marianne Williamson.


This quote has always challenged and inspired me to think about what my own light is, what does it mean to be a child of God? and what is this Glory of God within us?


So what does it mean to let our lights shine, simply to show the world who God is, his spirit is within us, the spirit that brings life, and I do not mean the everyday, I mean life in all that it can be, in fullness, after all Jesus said himself that he came so that we could all have life and life in its fullness. For me this means that that hole that I felt, always wanting to find something to fill it, but never managing to, has been filled. I have peace and satisfaction with life, knowing that God, who created everything, loves me and accepts me. That in itself is a humbling thought! "I am unworthy, but not worthless" is what someone said to me last week. In fact I am so very uniquely valuable, we all are, as God himself gave the most precious thing he could to save me. I think that living the truth of this is one way to let our light shine, not cutting myself down, but in-fact acknowledging that God actually does see me as valuable enough to give himself for me, he actually likes who I am. No matter what that looks like, he still loves me and accepts me.


The other way to live the glory of God that is found within us is to know what the purpose that God created us for, which is to be expressions of who he is on this earth. We do something on the YWAM (youth with a mission) base I work on that we call freedom prayer, which is basically asking God who we are, who he created, and then asking God what is getting in the way, what lies we have in our lives that stop us living this. Fear of what other people think is probably the biggest thing that holds us from living this as real! I know it has been in my life, but God is so good, and I love him so much, he has freed me from so much in my past.


I think that is the key to life, it is living in the love that God has for us, we can never be rejected by him, as he has adopted us as his children, and promises never to leave us, and God is always true to his word. And when we live in that love, other things do not seem so big anymore. There is great security in it, and all the things that God says about himself become more real. As we live in that freedom, that security, other people want to come round it, as they feel safe, it gives them a place where they can ask questions and find freedom also. That is what I see when I look at this quote. As we live in the reality of who God calls us to be, it releases others around us to also be able to live in that freedom. I have found this to be true in my own life, as I have spent time around people who are really on fire for God, I find they have a deep passion for living life, and it is infectious, I also want this. It challenges me, but also greatly encourages me that maybe I can also have that, and I have found over these last couple of years this to be true. As I spend time round people who are living in the freedom of God's love, I find it rubs off, and I am also able to live in that freedom, and then I notice people round me, who I can speak encouragement to also, and see them move into greater freedom. It is one bit cycle really...


Needless to say I love God, I certainly do not have all the answers, far from it, I still do not understand a lot of things that happen, but I love God and trust that he sees more than me, and I want to know more of who he is. It is a really exciting journey.