Dirty Lamps

he eye is the lamp of the body; so then if your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light.

Matthew 6:22 (NASB)

Several months ago, a broken sprinkler head under high pressure sent muddy water spraying across the front of our home. The deep front porch took the brunt of the filth, with windows, shudders and our pretty red door dirtied. Though it was cleaned up promptly, it wasn’t until this week that I noticed the porch lights that flank our doorway. Stepping out one evening, I wondered why the light was so muted, and noticed that the glass in the lamps was dingy and smeared with the muck.

As I cleaned them the next morning, I wondered what things in my life, like that muddy water, distort my view of truth. Could it be that I hold grudges, judgments and biases that don’t allow me to see people and circumstances from God’s view? Could my own selfishness, my desires, longings, and pride tint my vision and effect how I show God’s love to others?

I thought, too, about how intentional I had to be to clean the glass. It would never clean itself. Nature would not get the job done. In fact, the dirt would continue to accumulate unless I took action. Isn’t that just like grudges and pride? It takes time and hard work to uproot these things and clean them up in our lives.

I’m so glad that I recognized those dirty lamps. The light on my front porch is bright and inviting now. The glass shines and draws attention to the light. How much more do we draw attention to the Light of the World, when our lives are clean and holy, free from the dirt of this world?

You are the light of the world (Matthew 5:14).

Jill Hardin