Our office mission statement is “To serve as a lighthouse providing accounting, tax and planning services in a manner that points to Jesus Christ.” We also have a lighthouse as our logo so lighthouses are scattered decoratively around our office and displayed on our business cards, company shirts and sign outside. As I drove through the Cape Hatteras National Seashore last weekend, I was a little annoyed at the first sight of the Hatteras lighthouse which is currently under construction. Admittedly, my first thought was, “Ugg, work follows me EVERYWHERE.”
As I spent the weekend reading, resting and regrouping; the Lord brought my mind back to the lighthouse. Two distinct things stuck with me:
First, each of the lighthouses I passed on my trip was different. While all three serve basically the same role, they do not look the same, they are not the same size, they are not positioned the same along the coast and one is being essentially held together by scaffolding and fancy repair equipment. The only thing about them that was consistent was the light. It was a gentle reminder that in our effort to be obedient to God’s call to be a light, each of us will go about it differently and that’s ok because the light is Jesus Himself. We are simply the vessel HE uses to display it. “Again, Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 8:12
Secondly, I was struck by the region served by each lighthouse. While the light can be seen a great distance, each lighthouse is designed to offer protection for a specific area of the coast. Danger abounds throughout the ocean and yet each lighthouse is only responsible for its own personal spot. It’s easy as followers of Jesus to feel overwhelmed with all the need around us. However, God has only called each of us to serve in our own unique areas and the effort is not generated on our own; it comes from Him.
So maybe you feel like a broken-down lighthouse being held together with scaffolding, or maybe you are super overwhelmed by all the things you think you should be doing. It might be that you are paralyzed by the obsession with the way another lighthouse gets the job done and frustrated that you don’t seem to operate that way. It’s ok. It’s all going to be ok. Jesus is responsible for the light. It’s ultimately His work and His responsibility. Our job is simply to be ready and willing to serve where placed.
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