This is a guest post from Nansy Abdel Malak – a teacher working in Canada and a longtime commenter on my blog.  Nansy is also currently finishing a Masters degree in Biblical Counseling.  Nansy originally sent in this post several weeks ago – before Christmas.  But due to the backlog of guest post entries, I wasn’t able to post it till today.  My bad, not hers.  But look at it as just getting a head start on Christmas 2014 :)  And if you too are interested in guest posting on my blog, please visit my Guest Post guidelines for more info.

Everyone loves Christmas music right?  This morning I heard one of all-time classics on the radio, “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.”  Like you, I’ve heard this song millions of times, but for some reason today, I actually thought about the words.  They kind of made me think that each of us is a little bit like Rudolph – but just with different names.

Uhhhh….excuse me…what are you saying about my nose?

Think about it.  Rudolph is owned by Santa; he works for Santa, bringing gifts to Santa’s children across the world.  Similarly we are children of God.  We “belong” to Him and our purpose is to spread love to His children across the same world.  And just like Rudolph, we aren’t always accepted by the rest of the world.

“Christians are weird…they behave differently…they speak differently…they aren’t like us.”  This shouldn’t come as a surprise to us.  The Bible predicted this would happen:

“In regard to these, they think it strange that you do not run with them in the same flood of dissipation, speaking evil of you.” (1 Peter 4:4)

As Christians, one of our toughest challenges is struggling to uphold a Christ-like identity – “in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom [we] shine as lights in the world” (Philippians 2:14).  People notice that we are different! And here’s the good news…that means we’re doing something right!

What does that have to with Rudolph and his shiny red nose?

We live in a dark world - one full of evil.  And that world is kinda scary sometimes.  But we have a job to do.  God gave each of us a spark of light which He wants to use to reach people in the world.  We must ignite that spark in order to project God’s love to others.  We might be the only source of light in someone’s life.

Sometimes we miss the opportunities God gives us to share Him with others at work or school, in the store, or even at home with our families.  Instead, we act like chameleons, trying to blend in with our surroundings.  I am guilty of this; I’ve tried to run from chances to minister to those who don’t know God.  Perhaps we’ve put ourselves, our careers, our image ahead of Christ.  We forget that we can make a difference, no matter small, in the place we are.

“You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:14-16)

Jesus reminds us that we have something special and shouldn’t hide it.  Unlike Rudolph, our light is spiritual, not physical.  Rudolph couldn’t hide his nose, but we can.  We have to make a choice – a choice to uncover the light within us and share it with others.

You don’t have to hold a giant megaphone and preach Christ in your workplace.  But you can be a light by speaking a kind word, smiling at someone who is down, or simply take the time to listen.

The question is: are you ready to ignite your light?  Will you accept His invitation to shine that light of yours?  In other words, are you willing to be Rudolph?

For discussion:  what is one thing that you can do today to shine the Light of Christ to someone else around you?