Lightning Bugs

“In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” - Matthew 5:16 NIV

As a child during the hot summer nights of July and August, I remember playing in my friend’s backyards… playing in the nearby fields and woods…and seeing lightning bugs everywhere. We could stand at the edge of the field and see them for what seemed like miles…flashing on and off as they lit their way. We could sit on a wooden backyard fence and see the lightning bugs light up the backyard and all the attached yards in the neighborhood. Everywhere we looked, we saw lightning bugs.

”Daddy, do you see any lightning bugs?”

From our back porch, my daughters and I looked out over our yard and trees. Then walked outside our fence to scan the yards around us. We thought we saw one flashing in the night…and then maybe another… but that was it… maybe two lightning bugs. We were disappointed that there were no more. So we went back to the porch and looked out over our yard again and at the open space beyond our back fence. We saw (and felt) plenty of mosquitoes, but no lightning bugs.

What happened to them shining for all the world to see? Maybe we caught too many as kids. Maybe we somehow accidentally killed them off. Maybe they have migrated to even less populated areas. I don’t know. What has happened to all the lightning bugs?

As Believers, we are called to “so shine before men…” and I look out over our nation and our world, and I see only a few. What happened to all the lightning bugs? What happened to godly men making a difference in their little part of the world? What happened to the lightning bugs of faith shining like a city on a hill?

I heard an old sermon where the preacher wondered allowed, ”Where are all the Sunday School teachers? The volunteers to lead children and effect change in the lives of our kids, our teenagers, our college students, our adults? Are we too comfortable in our pews? Are we too comfortable in our Sunday School classes? Are we just plain too comfortable?”

I wonder… where are all the lightning bugs?

Sure, we still have some of the elder leaders from our youth. Yes, we still have ministries and arena-sized events, and the speakers and leaders affiliated with them. And we have multi-gifted pastors, speakers and writers who are making a difference, but where are the lightning bugs?

Where are the godly men who feel led to teach 7th grade boys Sunday School?

Where are the Businessmen who are letting it be known that they follow Jesus and do business with integrity and honesty?

Where are the lay leaders, the lay preachers, the Believers in leadership positions within our communities… our states… our nation willing to stand up and be seen?

Where are the leaders willing to use the platform they have been given to bring and lead others to Christ?

Where are those who aren’t paid to do it (like the world so often accuses our clergy) but do it anyway, for His glory?

Where are the lightning bugs?

I know they are still out there. I’ve seen them…maybe just a few… but I’ve seen them. What happened to the rest?

What happened to us?

Whose life is being changed because of what we are doing?

My prayer is that a passion will stir within us. That a hunger will draw us closer to Christ. Will drive us to go deeper in our faith walk. Stir us to want and need more… more of Him… more of Jesus.

My hope is that we will be moved to get out of the pew and put our faith to work.

It’s time for us to step up, step out and make a difference.

It’s time… time to be lightning bugs.

Keep the Faith… Carpe Diem