GLOW STICK: BOUGHT, BROKEN, and BLAMELESS

I’m sure that at some point in your life you possessed or handled a glow stick. Whether for good fun or emergency purposes, every type of glow stick has to be broken before it can give light. The brokenness occurs on the inside. Within the plastic tube are chemicals housed in separate containers.  When the plastic tube is bent or flexed, the inner containers break and release chemicals that—when combined—emit the “glow.”Understanding brokenness and its importance in producing the light of the Lord within you will help you place your life into God's hands for Him to use you. Because it is in God’s hands that He blesses us, breaks us, and gives us back as a blessing to others.  Without the breaking, the shining of the blessing through the giving could never be seen. No matter how roughly life has handled you, when you know Whose hands ultimately hold you, you can be certain that the breaking was intended to release your light.Being the only Bible that somebody may read is knowing that you were bought at a price; and because our body and spirit are not our own—but God’s—we ought to live like we have been purchased.  We have been bought to be put to good use.  You don’t buy a glow stick unless you have a purpose for this unique light—which is portable, waterproof, inexpensive, disposable, and generated without bulb or battery.  You may want it for fun—as a party decoration, to wave at a music concert or to signal others while swimming underwater. You may want it for safety or in case of emergency—to light a dark pathway while walking or alert others to danger or the scene of an accident. Regardless of the reason, you were the one who bought the glow stick, and therefore you had the right to break it and use it for the purpose of your choice. Likewise, because God has purchased us with His Son’s blood, He has a right to break us and put our unique light to use according to His own purpose.  At this point, you may be wondering, “How is a glow stick blameless?”  And I’d have to explain the biblical meaning of blameless.  To be blameless is to be filled with integrity—straightforward and ethically straight. Being blameless is not being sinless, but a believer’s life is free from habitual sinful behaviors because he or she is motivated and controlled by Christ’s moral principles and filled with the right substance: righteousness. Consider the substance inside a glow stick. The integrity of the mixture must be blameless in order for the brokenness to produce a brightness. The chemical blend must be precise to bring the glow to life—and that’s exactly what will be noticed in your life.  Remaining filled with integrity regardless of the circumstances in which you find yourself—wherever and with whomever you may be.Without having the right contents on the inside, nobody will enjoy your presence on the outside. Your influence on those around you will be most legible when you know the power and glory is inside of you. Tap into it by allowing God to snap you into it. Stay encouraged because even Jesus was broken!U MAY B THE ONLY BIBLE SOMEBODY READS, available here.