Be a Lighthouse for The Lord

Yesterday, Norma Jean and I drove over to St. Catharines, Ontario, and saw the Port Dalhousie Range Lighthouses. There are two lighthouses on this site, both built in the late 1800s.

Now imagine this. Today, August 7th, is National Lighthouse Day. Yep. That’s a thing, according to the holiday calendar of unusual holidays and celebrations. Ironic, eh?

Actually, Lighthouse Day was enacted by the U.S. Congress in 1789. Then, in 1989, Congress passed a resolution designating August 7 as National Lighthouse Day. Who knew?

With GPS and modern navigation systems, lighthouses no longer serve the same purpose as they did for nearly 2,000 years. According to history, the first lighthouse was built in ancient Alexandria between 280 and 300 B.C. The first colonial lighthouse was officially built in America in 1716. The first Canadian lighthouse was built in Nova Scotia in 1734.

However, the lighthouse serves as an apt metaphor for Christians, who shine their light. Looking at them reminds me of Jesus’ instruction in His timeless Sermon on the Mount.

“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden… let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” (Matt. 5:14-16).

Consider some similarities between a Lighthouse and a faithful Christian shining their light.

#1 A Lighthouse Stands Tall and Firm.

Ship captains could see the lighthouse miles away, as it towered above the rocky, rugged shoreline. Even amid lightning, thunder, and violent storms, the lighthouse does not move.

In the same way, Christians are called to be “steadfast, immovable,” anchored to the Word of God, and shining their light for all to see. In the darkness of a sinful world, the Christian light shines bright. Philippians 2:15 calls us to “shine as lights in the world” amid a crooked generation

#2 A Lighthouse Warns and Guides.

Rocks, reefs, and a dangerous shoreline threaten the safety of a ship, its crew, and its cargo. The lighthouse warns to steer clear of danger. Similarly, our light can shine to warn of the dangers of immorality, hedonism, secularism, atheism, and human philosophy. The light exposes the error and warns of its consequences. Indeed, we serve as “a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness” (Rom. 2:19).  William Barclay was right when he wrote, “A Christian must be the light of the world, not merely in the sense that he must shine, but that he must guide.”

#3 A Lighthouse Points People to Safety

While the lighthouse warns of danger, it also serves as a reminder that there is a safe, secure path to the port. As we walk in the light, reflect the light of Christ, and share the Truth of the scripture, we can point others to Jesus, “the light of the world.”

When we ‘walk as children of light” (Eph. 5:8), we shine forth God’s goodness, righteousness, and Truth. The very nature of our attitudes, actions, and speech is reflective of the Divine nature. As we are guided by the light, so we become that light.

#4 A Lighthouse Exists to Serve Others

The lighthouse does not exist for its own sake. Its purpose is built around serving the needs of sailors, seamen, and ship captains. Christians live for Christ. To serve Him and serve our fellow man. We become a lighthouse to the world where we are. At home. At work. At school. In our communities.

Jesus said that He did not come to be served, but to serve. As we follow Him, we emulate that same spirit. Christianity is not about how great we are, but it’s about how great our Christ is. We live for Him. And we live to point others to Him who is the genuine Light and Life of the world (Jn. 1:4).

The lighthouses we saw yesterday are no longer functioning as they once did. They are relics of the past. But the Christian as a lighthouse to the world has never been more needed. In a world that seems to grow darker day by day, let your light shine.

Finally, this critical thought by D. L. Moody. “We are told to let our light shine, and if it does, we won’t need to tell anybody it does. Lighthouses don’t fire cannons to call attention to their shining—they just shine.”

–Ken Weliever, The Preacherman