Soaking up the Son

I love California. I don't know how I've lived this long in Minnesota, and I don't think I can ever go back for good. The sun here just does something to you. One thing in specific that it has done to me these last few days in southern California is turn my skin a nice rosy shade of red. While sun burns usually don't do much else than hurt, this one has meant a lot to me. My choir from AFLBS (Association Free Lutheran Bible School) is on tour at the moment and our songs at tonight's concert really convicted me. The first song to speak to me was "I Want to Walk as a Child of the Light" and the chorus goes as follows, "In Him there is no darkness at all, the night and the day are both alike. The Lamb is the light of the city of God. Shine in my heart Lord Jesus". After we sang those words I completely lost it. To follow this was another song entitled "Prayer", composed with lyrics such as "Shine through me and be all in me that every soul I know will feel Your presence in my soul", as well as others that speak of Christ in us. Now you may be wondering why I was such a cry baby at tonight's concert because of sun burnt cheeks and singing a few songs. I couldn't help but think that absolutely everyone that I come into personal contact with at the moment knows that I have been effected by the sun, but how many of those know that I have also been effected by the SON? Do I live my life in such a way that lets Christ shine through me? In my attitudes, in my actions, in my words, in absolutely everything that I do? Many times in Scripture Christ spoke of Himself as the a Light. Take for example John 8:12, "I am the light of the world, whoever follows Me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life". There is also John 1:9 and 9:5 where Jesus declares that He is the true light. So if Christ is the light, then if I am living and walking with Him, my life should reflect that light. It should be so evident to all that I have been exposed to the Son! But is it? The song that we sang inbetween these two songs mentioned above was "Give Me Jesus". If we truly want the light of Christ to shine through our lives, He has to become our lives. "In Him there is no darkness at all"--lyrics to "I Want to Walk" again. The lyrics to "Give Me Jesus" declare that you may have all this world, just give me Jesus. Is that our prayer today? Would we be honest in proclaiming that to the world? Would Jesus really be enough? How silly of a question! But one we sinners easily ask nonetheless. I encourage you to dig into the Word today. Soak up the Son! Let Him flood your soul with His presence and light, and let Him shine through you so that every soul you come into contact with will know that He is there.