Isaiah 2:5 Come, descendants of Jacob,
    let us walk in the light of the Lord.

This is what discipleship is all about. The New Testament is filled with references to this, with Jesus saying, “It is when a person walks at night that they stumble, for they have no light.” (John 11:10) A disciple is one who copies their master, who observes them and does what they do, learning to be like them. The Apostle John wrote, “This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.” (1 John 1:5-7) John was a true disciple! Isaiah was issuing an invitation to discipleship. Sadly, not so many accept that invitation. We say the right things, but then we choose to walk in the darkness, just as Jesus said. “This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God. (John 3:19-21) We delight in John 3:16, rightly enough, but our response to that glorious truth needs to be to walk consistently in the light that God gives us, so that we will be Jesus’ disciples indeed.

This is an excellent way to express my commission: inviting people to walk in the light. The awkward thing is that my personality colors that light, and people get confused as to what they are seeing. I have many friends who seem to like me a lot, but they don’t realize that what they like in me is actually Jesus, whom they are seeing through me. In this church I urgently strive to get people to look directly to Jesus, taking in His Word and learning to listen to Him, but I don’t know how successful I have been. I have tried to share some of my own human weaknesses with people, and they have left the church because they “couldn’t follow such an imperfect pastor.” I don’t think they were being honest about their own weaknesses, but that is beside the point. I’ve got to be humbly honest about my own walk with the Lord and invite people to “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.” (1 Corinthians 11:1) I’m certainly not perfect, but Jesus is, and I’m to let His light shine through me.

Father, thank You for this reminder. I’ve got a lot on my plate for the next few weeks, particularly. Help me indeed walk in Your light, recognizing what You have for me to do and doing it with my whole heart, so that those around me may be illuminated and drawn to You, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!