You are the light of the world. A city 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 men… (Matthew 5:14-16, NIV).
Jesus saw the world as a great cosmic contest between good and evil, with the eternity of human souls wavering on the line. He charged those who followed Him with the task of engaging the contest in such a way as to make history. We often talk blithely of “seizing the day” as if it was little more than savoring a moment. For Jesus, seizing the day meant responding to the challenge of the moment.
But where does one begin?
In the ancient Scriptures, a group of men known as the men of Issachar were heralded for two things: understanding the times and determining how to live in light of those times (I Chronicles 12). This is the combination that we must pursue: Understanding the serious nature of our time and living intentionally in light of those times. We can deepen our awareness of what is happening in our world—the flow of history to this point and the pivotal moment our day represents—and then explore the key areas of life that need to be developed to live a life of consequence.
And doing it now matters.
This article originally appeared here and is used by permission.
