Anchor House Week 27 - Light of the World

“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” - Matthew 5:14-16

The people who work at SeaPort Manatee are some of the most dedicated and hard-working people I have had the privilege to know. They work tirelessly to load and unload ships, keep the port safe, load and unload trucks, and the many other activities that make this place go. Three hundred sixty-five days days a year this SeaPort is alive because of the men and women who work here.

As the days drag on and the hours worked add up, fatigue sets in. Fatigue is the playground of the enemy. He strikes with doubt, impure thoughts, distractions, and any device he can employ to take our eyes off of God. The enemy jumps on us when we are in a place of fatigue like a barnyard cat pounces a field mouse.

Anchor House and those who serve through Anchor House have the privilege of being a beacon of light for the SeaPort community. As the days drag on and the enemy makes his attacks, Anchor House stands as the light in the darkness. Something as simple as sitting down, eating your lunch, and jumping on WiFi to watch your favorite show can be the difference between a successful attack and a defeated attack.

As those that serve at Anchor House embrace the light our Father has granted them, it shines for others to enjoy. A smile when buying a few Gatorades or discussion about faith or a simple “It’s nice to see you” or “We’ve missed seeing you” can be all that is needed to refuel to take on the rest of the shift. It can be all that is needed to glorify our Father in heaven and love his children.

Be blessed and be a blessing,

Matt

Comments

Glow Differently

I saw this quote recently, “You glow differently when your confidence is fueled by belief in yourself instead of validation from others.” I found myself wrestling with it. I completely agree with the concept that the validation of my worth is not established by the thoughts of others. While I think a positive self image is important, I do not think that it is what really makes me “glow differently.” I hope I glow differently because of whom I believe in, rather than what I believe of myself. The author of Titus says, “But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.” (Titus 3:4-7) . Love and kindness entered the world in the form of a m...

Right In Front of Me

There is one character in the story of the night of Jesus' arrest that sticks out. He seems insignificant to what is happening. He’s almost an interruption in the story. He is only mentioned by name in one of the four gospels, even though the description of what occurred is in all four gospels. Malchus is his name. He works for the people who want Jesus dead. His job, with his compadres, is to seize Jesus and bring him back to the high priest. There he would be subject to questioning, a trial of sorts. As Malchus and his posse are approaching, Peter takes action to protect Jesus. “With that, one of Jesus' companions reached for his sword, drew it out and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear” (Matthew 26:51). Jesus immediately tells Peter and the rest of his disciples to stop with the violence. I wonder what Malchus thought at this point. I imagine his was in shock, I would guess he was surprised. He had just been attacked and surely is bleeding ...

Identify

Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human authority: whether to the emperor, as the supreme authority, or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. 1 Peter 2: 13-14 This is one of those selections of scripture that we like to gloss over while reading the Bible. This letter is written by the apostle Peter to the churches of another part of the Roman Empire. The people were located in what is now Turkey and were facing persecution for being Christians. Christians were the new kids on the block when it came to religions. I'm sure it felt uncomfortable to the people of the time. I'd think they'd have felt similar as we would about a new cult popping up in our neighborhood. Peter tells the church, "Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day He visits us" (1 Peter 2:12). He basically says be...

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