The Light That Came From Within!!!

We have a major problem at our house.

It all started one day while helping my son clean out all of the junk that had accumulated under his bed when I found it.

I was shocked to say the least and while no parent thinks that their son or daughter is capable of keeping something from them, it happens.

I did not know what to do. My own son.

He had in his possession a plastic Iron Man mask.


 

Where did I go wrong?

I named him Clark for a reason. Clark was Superman, and in no way shape or form Iron Man. It was as if a lifetime of raising this boy went out the window faster than a speeding bullet. Look up in the sky!!! It's a bird! It's a plane!!! No, it's daddy's dreams plummeting to the earth with the force of a mighty tidal wave.

Then insult to injury was added when he said, "Hey Dad! Do you want to play Iron Man? You can be the bad guy and I will be Iron man!!!"


"Son," I pleaded with him, "Why must you follow this path of insanity? The guy is just a man in a robot suit."

"No way Dad!", he excitedly told me, "He has a light in his chest that powers the suit and that light make his enemies run!"

That is when the light bulb came on!

What a PERFECT opportunity to teach my son about the power of the Indwelling Spirit of God!

"Tell you what Clark, let's play Iron Man but how about if Daddy builds you a real Arc Reactor for your chest so you can really look like Iron Man?" I asked.

Then we got to work building and it was more than just Arc Reactors.



We began to talk about David. One of the original Iron Men in the Bible who talked about a light that he had within him that enabled him to be powered as well as drive away enemies that were around him.

"The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?" ~Psalms 27:1 

It is an interesting thought!

Jesus refers to those who belong to God as His children as being "The light of the World". 

"Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.  Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." ~~Matthew 5:14-16

 I love this analogy!  

We have been illuminated by God through Christ. We now have the ability to shine in darkness where before we could not. The light came from God. We were not self starters. The Bible explains that we loved the darkness, but God draws us through the Holy Spirit and gives us the opportunity to receive the Light. If we receive Him, we become light. He indwells us!

The Holy  Spirit is not some sort of Jimmy Cricket that acts as our conscience now that we are saved. It is literally a new birth that takes place at Salvation! It is a total rewiring and the Holy Spirit of God now indwells us. He provides power to something that was dead and cold so that i can become LIGHT and Alive!. The book of Acts refers to it as "Dunamis" where we get our word Dynamite! He is power and He now indwells and powers the believer!


"For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:" ~Ephesians 5:8 

"Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness." ~ 1 Thessalonians 5:5 
In other words, you shine because of a source. That source has enabled you to now shine, so shine!

The light is there, and God pulls it out of the darkness to allow us to complete the picture He has for us to be. The image of His son.

We are light and this is not based upon a feeling but upon a fact. This morning, you are Iron Man! You have a power source within you that has been prepared for you to reflect and show to those around you!

The power is there and the people are on their way. The choice is yours. Fire up the suit or hide it under a bushel?

When we were all done, I have to tell you that I truly did enjoy playing Iron Man and although Superman is still my favorite, I can live with the choices of my son.

                    

It's not about the costume that you wear, rather it's about the light that you shine! Batman, Spiderman, Iron Man, Superman, or just plain old Mom or Dad... Just get out there and shine for Him!

Climbing with you,
~Dan