Advent Devotion – A Light Shines in the Darkness – Day 22
Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.” Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky as you hold firmly to the word of life.
Philippians 2:14-16a
Shining Like Stars
The study of contrast is important in many areas:
- Visual artists use contrast to highlight key items and guide attention to particular elements.
- Fashion designers use contrast for dramatic effect in clothing.
- Marketing experts use contrast to evoke emotion.
On the very first day of creation, it was God himself who created contrast when he created light. The first verses of God’s Word tell us that God separated light from darkness. We see a striking visualization of that contrast when we look into the night sky. Today’s reading tells us that the stars shine in the night sky. Scientists tell us that the stars are trillions of miles from Earth—and yet we can see them against the darkness. That’s quite a contrast!
Amazingly, Paul tells us that we Christians shine like the stars in the night sky as our God-pleasing lives stand out from the warped and crooked world. In a world that rewards aggression, God calls us to be humble. In a world that pays attention to sex appeal, God calls us to be modest. In a world that values a “take charge” attitude, God calls us to be servants. As we answer God’s call, we stand out from the world like stars in the night sky!
It’s noteworthy that Paul mentions two sins that would keep us from “shining like stars”: grumbling and arguing. Grumbling and arguing are ever so common in our world, and they are full of the darkness of sin. When we grumble, we are disagreeing with the situation God has put us in and coming close to saying, “I don’t agree with what you are doing, Lord.” When we argue, we are angrily insisting on our way or our ideas instead of lovingly listening to another person and gently explaining what we think. Grumbling and arguing quickly make us blend in with the darkness, spoiling the contrast God wants from us.
The end of our reading says that we hold firmly to the “word of life.” God’s Word gives us the life that we “blender inners” so desperately need. Our Savior has forgiven all the grumbling and arguing we have ever done, along with all our other sins. The Holy Spirit has made us children of God and has worked in our hearts and lives so that we shine like stars! We do well to hold firmly to the Word that gives us life.
Of course, that same Word gives life to others as well. We hold firmly to the life-giving Word so we can share it with others. And that’s the greatest example of the contrast Paul is talking about. We Christians are the only people on Earth who can share the life-giving message of God’s Word.
Shine like stars, sisters!
Prayer: Lord, you tell us in your Word that by constant use of Scripture we train ourselves to distinguish good from evil. Lead us to the light of your goodness so we shine like stars for the world to see. Amen.
Written by Angela Kom
