Author: Paul Nordman

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You Shine

“I’ve seen the light!” It’s the stereotypical expression of the religious experience. We say it more in exaggerated, joking tones than anything else. But you know what? I have seen the light! You have, too.

Of Jesus, John writes, “In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.”1 The apostle teaches us who Jesus is—the Son of God who lived among us in human flesh for a specific time and for a specific purpose before returning to the Father in heaven. He came and He left, but His presence remains; it always will. Says John, “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”2 True enough, we see Him beaming all around us, and truth be told, He glows through you.

Jesus shines from you who have known Him all your life and from you who discovered Him later in life. He shines from you who turn to God in grief, and He shines from you who comfort the brokenhearted with care. The Light shines from you who struggle against the dark powers of addiction and from you who faithfully walk beside these daily victors. He shines through you on the left and through you on the right who share eternal citizenship in a Kingdom not of this world. Jesus shines from you who stand boldly as mighty oaks of faith; He shines from you who cling to Him with seed-sized belief. He shines through your faith; He shines through your forgiveness. He shines through your compassion; He shines through your humility. He shines through your brokenness; He shines through your healing. He shines through you.

“You are the light of the world,”3 taught Jesus to the eager crowd. In this confidence and in this joy, we step into a new day and, once again, “shine like stars in the universe as [we] hold out the word of life.”4 For we have seen the Light, and, in Him, we are light, too.

“Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:14, 16).

Father, send your Spirit, that I may shine today in what I say and do. Be pleased with your people; be glorified in us. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

Christ in me is life.

1 John 1:4
2 John 1:5
3 Matthew 5:14
4 Philippians 2:15

Listen to John proclaim Jesus Christ as God in John 1:1-14.

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Who Wins, Really?

“He who dies with the most toys wins.” Someone had embraced the idea to the point of proclaiming it from his rear bumper, his nearsighted worldview trailing along behind him—unsafe at any speed—baiting the gullible wherever he went: “Game on! It’s me against you, Sucker!”

Why do we benchmark our lives to the traits and accomplishments of others, anyway? Instead of savoring our successes or dealing with our difficulties at face value, we evaluate the acceptability of our existence against that of other people. If possessions, achievements or fame tilt in our favor, we go about our merry way in our “life is good” gear, but if we fall short of someone else’s good fortune or their outward signs of success, our narrative nosedives by comparison into, “I lived life and all I got was this lousy t-shirt.” And if those around us are winning by cheating, well that’s just plain intolerable.

There is a more peaceful way to live life, and it has everything to do with where we look for validation. “Do not fret because of evil men or be envious of those who do wrong,” writes David the psalmist, for our quality of our life is not determined by that of anyone else, least of all “those who carry out their wicked schemes,” whatever form their treachery may take. Instead, David redirects us to God, in whom exists life itself: “Trust in the Lord … Delight yourself in the Lord … Commit your way to the Lord … Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him.” For God is never against us, but always for us.

If this life were all there was—if death were the finish line of all things—then the materialist motorist, his toys in tow, might be right. But Jesus lives forever, and for all who live in Him by faith, this life is only the beginning. And he who never dies always wins.

Father, my life is safely secure in you through Christ, and you’re all I need. Send your Spirit to remind me to set my sights always and only on you. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

Christ in me is life.

Read today’s Scripture in Psalm 37:1-7.

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Our Regatta Regalia

When I was frequenting a bakery cafe on Ohio State’s campus, there would often sit just a few feet from me the university’s women’s crew coaching staff and key leaders from the school’s national powerhouse rowing team. They met there regularly, seemingly to keep communications wide open in both directions and to minimize potential disruptions to team unity, focus and success. It was good leadership.

One morning, my attention tacked to “headwinds” at the table on my left. A younger member of this select group was wearing a t-shirt of another university, and seeing this, the coach kindly, but firmly took issue with the matter, emphasizing the student’s identity as a team member and educating her on the impact of the individual on the solidarity of the whole. I can’t say whether the rower learned anything that day, but I came away with a deeper appreciation of responsibility and resolve.

To be fair, it is easy to lose perspective in life, and course-corrections are often necessary. For instance, though the believers in Ephesus now belonged to the ultimate championship crew, the body of Christ, some still sported their old t-shirts of darkness—greed, impurity, and obscenity, in their case—inconsistent for the individual and confusing to the team. So, Paul reminded them of their new identity in Him whose jersey they now wore: “You were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light …”1

What do we wear in their place when we remove the uniforms of our past? Again, we look to Paul. Steering the Thessalonians also from the depths of darkness into the lanes of light, he emphasized self-control, embracing who they were in Christ and aligning their actions with their identity in Him. How? By “putting on faith and love … and the hope of salvation.”2 For when we really grasp what Jesus has done for us, when we openly accept for ourselves the deep love He has for us, we are overwhelmed to the point we eagerly discard the old and put on the new. Faith, hope and love—these are the team regalia that bind us together as we represent Christ in a watching world.

Father, thank you for saving me and giving me new and eternal life in Christ. Grace me to truly understand who He’s made me to be, and inspire me to live and to give in faith, hope and love. I pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Christ in me is freedom.

1 Ephesians 5:8
2 1 Thessalonians 5:8

See today’s Scripture in 1 Thessalonians 5:4-11.