Happy Sabbath, friends!

The Sabbath is a sacred pause — a time to rest, reflect, and realign our hearts with the Lord. It is an invitation to step away from the noise of the world and allow God to gently search our hearts, refine our character, and remind us of the calling He has placed on our lives.

Today’s reflection is an invitation to examine not only what we believe, but how we live — and whether our lives are truly pointing others to Jesus.

Called to Be Fishers of Men

God calls us to be fishers of men and to be witnesses of Him. He desires not only a relationship with us, but with all of His beloved children. Yet how are His children supposed to be reunited with their Father if they are never introduced to Him?

This is where we are called to be a testament of Jesus — so that God’s family may continue to grow in Christ.

Matthew 4:19 (NIV)

““Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.””

Matthew 28:19–20 (NIV)
“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.””

Romans 10:14–15 (NIV)
“How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!””

Actions Speak Louder Than Words

You may be reading this and wondering, “How can I possibly be a testament of Jesus?” The answers can be found in the Word of God, which we will delve into throughout this message.

Have you ever heard the phrase, “Actions speak louder than words?” That phrase is just as relevant when it comes to sharing the good news of Christ. It is always good to speak the Word of God to others — but those words lose their meaning if they are not followed by action.

Think of someone you have met who spoke confidently about what they believed or what others should do, yet their actions never reflected those words. I’m sure we have all encountered someone like this — or perhaps, at times, that person has been us. It is difficult to respect words that are not supported by a lived example.

One example of this is someone who strongly claims that being a good Adventist (or Christian) means keeping the Sabbath day — to the point of judging those who do not — yet repeatedly breaks the Sabbath themselves. This is hypocrisy, and it does not reflect the character of Christ. We are called to be witnesses of Jesus, and that means doing our very best to live a life that resembles the life Jesus lived while He was on this earth.

Matthew 5:16 (NIV)
“In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”

James 1:22 (NIV)
“Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.”

Matthew 7:16–20 (NIV)
“By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.”

Matthew 23:23 (NIV)
““Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.”

James 2:17 (NIV)
“In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.”

Living as the Light of Christ

So let me ask you this: what are some ways you are being a light for Christ?

Are you adding light and love to the rooms you walk into? Or are you consistently bringing people down or hurting others?

When we reflect on the life Jesus lived on this earth, we see that He never tore people down. Instead, He lifted others up, healed them, and brought light and love everywhere He went. Everything good comes from Christ — so shouldn’t we, in our own lives, strive to bring goodness as well?

Matthew 5:14–16 (NIV)
““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.”

Ephesians 5:8–9 (NIV)
“For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth)”

Luke 4:18–19 (NIV)
““The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.””

James 1:17 (NIV)
“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.”

From Darkness to Light

God saved you from darkness — whether that looked like a traumatic experience, a toxic relationship, captivity, or a season of distance from the Lord. Now, He is calling you to be a light in a world filled with darkness.

Satan constantly strives to dim our light. He desires a world consumed by darkness. But the more light and love we reflect, the more the world begins to shine — and the more it points others toward our Heavenly Father.

This calling is not an easy one. Satan does everything he can to stop us from reflecting the character of Christ. But we serve an Almighty God who faithfully supplies us with the strength and courage we need to persevere and pursue the calling He has placed on our hearts.

Colossians 1:13–14 (NIV)
“For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”

1 Peter 2:9 (NIV)
“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.”

Philippians 2:14–15 (NIV)
“Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.” Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky”

2 Corinthians 4:4, 6 (NIV)
“The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.”

A Sabbath Invitation to Self-Examination

On this Sabbath day, I challenge you to spend intentional time in prayer with the Lord. Ask Him to open your eyes to the areas of your life that may need to change so that you can more fully reflect the character of Christ.

What attributes in your life do not align with God’s character? Are your actions aligned with how Jesus lived His life on this earth? Have you followed through with the truths you have confidently spoken?

Rather than focusing on other people’s walk, I challenge you to look in the mirror and examine your own. We have no right to judge where others are in their walk with Christ when we ourselves fall short.

Humble yourself. Die to self. Allow the Holy Spirit to take control and lead.

Psalms 139:23–24 (NIV)
“Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”

Lamentations 3:40 (NIV)
“Let us examine our ways and test them, and let us return to the Lord.”

Galatians 2:20 (NIV)
“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

Galatians 6:4–6 (NIV)
“Each one should test their own actions. Then they can take pride in themselves alone, without comparing themselves to someone else, for each one should carry their own load. Nevertheless, the one who receives instruction in the word should share all good things with their instructor.”

A Closing Prayer

I pray over all who are reading this message that we may die to self and allow the Holy Spirit to take the lead in our lives. May He transform us so that we reflect a character that resembles Christ.

If there is anything within us that does not honor or resemble the character of Christ, I pray that our eyes will be opened to it — and that we would surrender it fully to the Lord. May we be transformed into lights amidst the darkness.

Lord, continue to mold and shape each one of us so that when we walk into a room, it is filled with light and love.

Amen.