“I think you have enough lights,” Lynne said as I explained my proposed expansion. While I consider myself a balanced individual, I do tend to go overboard with Christmas lights.

Tim Allen, star of the iconic TV series “Home Improvement,” was fond of saying, “More power!” For me, it’s “More lights!” I tell friends, acquaintances, and anyone else who will listen that my goal is to have my house seen from the International Space Station on a clear night, but not in a tacky way.

Every now and then I overload a circuit and end up tripping a breaker. I remember singing in church as a kid, “This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine.” I just decided to supersize that for Christmas. Christmas is, after all, about light.

Isaiah the prophet foretold the coming of the Messiah as a light shining in darkness. “But there will be no gloom for her who was in anguish. In the former time he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time he has made glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations. The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone” (Isaiah 9:1-2, ESV).

Isaiah goes on to tie this to the Messiah, saying, “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (9:6).

Matthew tied this prophecy to Jesus when He left Nazareth for Galilee after John the Baptist’s arrest (Matthew 4:12-16).

Jesus was, and is, all about light. “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12). He then told His disciples that they were to be light as well. “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:14-16). The Greek word translated “light” in these passages is phos, defined as “light, radiance” (Young’s Analytical Concordance).

The challenge is that we have no light of our own. Like the moon reflects the light of the sun, Christians reflect the light of the Son, Jesus Christ, when they walk in His light. How, then, do we let our light shine so others will “see our good works” and give glory to God?

Jesus reduced it to a simple equation: Love God and love our neighbor. “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets” (Matthew 22:37-40). Everything that pleases the heart of God is wrapped up in this simple statement. It’s not rocket science.

We shine brightest when we are walking in the Spirit and empowered by the Spirit. If I walk in my own strength, my circuit breaker trips and the light goes out.

Jesus came into this world during a time of great darkness. We are living in a time of great darkness, and it is imperative that we Christians let our light shine before men. They may not see my light from the International Space Station, but God sees it. I want Him to turn to Gabriel and say: See that light down there? That’s my servant, Ron!

It’s time for the Church to turn up the lights, not just for Christmas but all through the year.

What say ye, Man of Valor?
Semper Fidelis!