Some people go into the furnace of life’s difficulties and are burned or consumed, while others are strengthened through the experience.

What’s the difference?

We all face discouragement from time to time, but what happens when a “root of bitterness springs up and causes trouble?”

Resentment cuts you off from others.  While grace leads to unity and reconciliation, bitterness and anger lead to isolation.  Because when you’re bitter, you separate yourself from whoever has wronged you.  And so you’re left alone to wallow in your judgment of others, or profane living or, ultimately, disqualification.

On the other hand, we can face our discouragement with hope for the future that leads to a closeness with God resulting in a reflection of his holiness in our lives and in the end we’ll experience the revelation of what all our trials have meant as we shine our lights through our lives to the others around us.

I received an email from David Wilkerson’s daily devotional this morning.  I’ve edited a portion of the text.

“Let me give you an example of such light. Recently, the CEO of a company in NewYork called our church. The CEO told
about two women from our church who work for him. He said they weren’t like the others in his office. These two women were always courteous, smiling, helpful to others, never complaining or backbiting. “There’s something different about them,” he said. “I would like to meet with you to find out what the difference is.”

These women were heavenly candlesticks, placed in their jobs by Jesus. And the light they shone lit up the entire workplace. How? They had the life of Christin them. Their boss recognized it as something beyond what this world has tooffer.

That CEO was Jewish. Do you think he would have responded to an invitation to a revival meeting? Would he have read a packet of materials produced by a church? No, he would have tossed it all into “File 13″ and never looked at it again. This man responded to true light-a light born of lives hid in Christ,
and being lived out daily by two humble women.

We are only able to bring light to our communities as we are full of Christ’s life ourselves. We have to live out the message we bring, if we are to preach it with any power. God help us to remember that the light shines through in the little things of life.”