Shining like stars
by Pastor Jim Strelan
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… children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life (Philippians 2:15,16).
When I was growing up, the only people I really knew or associated with were church people. Being a PK (pastor’s kid) meant the church community was like our extended family. If you’re an older Christian, you might be able to identify with that. The circle of influence was narrow. Things have changed so much, and most Christians now mix with a wide group of people. The secular world has crept into our ‘church world’, and we’ve learnt to assimilate. We blend in. Apart from Sundays, there doesn’t seem to be much to distinguish us from anyone else.
I like that phrase, ‘in which you shine like stars in the universe’. Go outside at night, especially if you are away from the city, look up, and see myriad stars dotting the night sky. Only clouds can prevent you from seeing them. They stand out.
The Apostle Paul contrasts followers of Jesus with what is around them – ‘a crooked and depraved generation’. Followers of Jesus have adopted the mindset of Jesus himself. Philippians 2:5 says, ‘Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus’. They stand out.
Sometimes we don’t really want to shine like stars. We don’t want people to roll their eyes at us as though we are some kind of weird freaks. We like to blend, to not be noticed too much because no-one wants to stand alone. It’s scary. So somewhere along the line, we have to distinguish between what is dark and what is light. To be honest, the dark is frightening too. A follower of Jesus – by the very nature of what that means – prefers the light, seeks it and wants to shine brightly in all the darkness around them. How are you going with that?
Read verse 13, ‘For it is God who works in you to will and act according to his good purpose’. If you are going to shine like the stars, it’s the light of God reflecting in you. If it is God who works in you, then that’s a work he continually does. He is still doing it. He infuses you with his love so that, as you stand out, what really stands out is that God-love. People can roll their eyes at our supposed superiority, at our judgementalism, at our better-than-you attitudes, and they will. But if our shining comes from God, if the light we display is his light, then we are being true, and we can actually make a difference for good.
Loving God, work in me through your Spirit so that I can reflect your light and shine like stars in the darkness around me. Amen.
Jim Strelan is a retired pastor who lives in Brisbane, Queensland. He has worked in Papua New Guinea, two Lutheran colleges and two suburban congregations, both with schools. He has three children and seven grandchildren and loves them all unconditionally. His passion is to share the gospel in ways that are as clear and simple as possible.
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