"All things came to be through him"

All things came to be through him,

and without him nothing came to be.

What came to be through him was life,

and this life was the light of the human race;

the light shines in the darkness,

and the darkness has not overcome it.

John 1:3-5

Having God in my life is good.  There is no doubt about this, but there are other good things in my life; my husband, my son, friendships, travels, my job and so many more.  Some of these don't seem to be related to God but these verses tell us otherwise.  These verses remind us that "All things came to be through Him".  Not only should we thank God for these gifts in our lives  but we should use these gifts to bring his light to the world.

These verses challenge me to think about how I can use what God has given me to bring life and light to the world.  I think about my job as a public school teacher.  I spend my time at work doing work that I love but is not outwardly serving God.

How does this work bring life and light to the world?

I can treat my students with love and respect.  I can great them with a smile and listen to their thoughts and ideas.  I can value them as a person and remind them that they can talk to me in times of trouble.  I can bring some light into their lives and teach them how to do the same in their lives.  I have to remember that as I go about my day I should be doing so much more than simply what is required in my contract.  My focus should be beyond common core and standards.  As a Christian my focus should be on bringing life and light to the world.