More Jesus

In a world in which we see so much darkness, we can remember our hope in Jesus Christ and seek to display His light. 1st John 1 states:
5 This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.
6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.
7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.

God has placed us on this earth, in this world, so that we can be good representatives of Him. Through our relationship with Christ, we have the capacity to show the people around us who He is, how He loves them, and what He wants to do in their lives.  We don't have to look very far to recognize that world is in need of a Savior, each of us in need of a Savior, and Jesus died, He gave His life out of love for this world, in order that people may come to know Him.

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Jesus has directed and empowered us to share His love and proclaim His truth - allowing His light to shine through us. He taught in the Sermon on the Mount, in Matthew chapter 5:
14 You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.
15 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.
16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

Columbus County, North Carolina, is located not far from the coast, west of Wilmington.  There's a sheriff there named Jody Greene.  In the sheriff's office there, according to ChristianHeadlines.com, there is a Bible verse that is displayed on the wall. It's a familiar verse, Philippians 4:13, which says, "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me..."

Somehow, the "religious expression" police at the Freedom From Religion Foundation caught wind of this display and sent one of those letters to the sheriff, saying, "The Establishment Clause prohibits government sponsorship of religious messages," the letter said. "The Supreme Court has said time and again that the 'First Amendment mandates government neutrality between religion and religion, and between religion and nonreligion.'"

Sheriff Greene, who is charged with upholding the law and is no doubt knowledgeable about the U.S. Constitution, was not deterred by this letter.  For he knows that free expression of religion should not be denied in America.  The article says:

In a December 21 Facebook post, Greene said he will not remove the verse, which he said has helped encourage and inspire members of law enforcement.

"The verse is one of my favorite Bible verses, and it seemed fitting for all the adversity I have had to endure," Greene wrote. "It is very motivational to me and my staff. Here at the Sheriff's Office, we work hard in everything that we do. Before we execute a search warrant, or any service that puts our people in immediate harm's way, we ALWAYS go to the Lord with a group prayer. ALWAYS!"

He also indicates that he sees that there are Biblical solutions to crime issues in his county. Christian Headlines goes on to say, "Referencing overdoses, drugs and violence within the country, Greene added, 'We need more Jesus and less politics.'" 

Greene referenced the "messages of support," including calls from five County Commissioners and a member of the North Carolina House of Representatives. 

So, the sheriff won't be making that trip to the paint store anytime soon - or ever, it seems. And, that can be inspirational for us - we should not be painting over our faith, either.  Jesus spoke about not putting our light under a basket so that it cannot be seen. Certainly, we are to hide God's Word in our hearts, but that's for the purpose of spiritual growth in Him, so that we can be more pleasing to God and touch the lives of other people.

Because strong Christians can have an indelible impact on our culture.  And, the expression of Christian principles can help to address the problems that we face. That's especially true for law enforcement - crime, lawlessness, substance abuse - all of these are expressions of the enemy, who seeks to steal, kill, and destroy. But, people need to see the light of Christ and appropriate His presence. So, those called to enforce the law, who are ordained by God, ideally can integrate Biblical principles in their approach. 

In our jobs, we bear enormous responsibility to shine the light of Christ. We should exhibit His presence in all we do, and follow the direction of the Holy Spirit in doing our jobs well.  We can pray for His power each day so that through our obedience, God is exalted.