“Give Me Your Light” – A Life That Truly Counts

[Hubi]

“Give Me Your Light” – A Life That Truly Counts

Just imagine everything very clearly for a moment. A room, dark, quiet, almost empty. The air is cool and still, no sound, no life. And in the middle of this room stands a candle. Beautiful, flawless, unused. Its wax is smooth, its wick untouched. It is perfect. But it is cold. It has never shone, never given warmth, never helped anyone find their way. And next to it lies a small match, inconspicuous, almost seeming worthless, and yet it carries within it something that can change everything. Then a soft voice breaks the silence. The match says: “I have the task of lighting you.” And suddenly everything changes. The candle is startled. You can almost feel how fear spreads within it. “Oh no, please not. If I burn, then I will no longer be the same. Then my days are numbered. Then I will fade away.” Isn’t that strikingly honest? Isn’t that exactly what we sometimes feel deep inside? We want to serve Jehova, we want to love, we want to help, but please without losing ourselves, please without pain, please without it really costing us something.

But the match asks a question, a question that cannot simply be pushed aside: “Do you want to remain cold and hard your whole life, without ever truly having lived?” This question goes deep, because it touches something we often avoid. There is a difference between existing and living. Jehova does not want us to merely exist, but to truly live. In Ecclesiastes 11:8 it says: “Rejoice in your life, but remember, the days of darkness will be many.” A life that only preserves itself will eventually become empty, quiet, and dark, just like this room.

The candle continues to whisper: “Burning hurts, and it drains my strength.” And this time the match does not contradict it. It says: “That is true.” No sugarcoating, no false promises, just truth. Yes, it takes strength to remain kind when you have been hurt. It takes strength to encourage someone when you yourself feel empty. It takes strength to be active in the ministry when your heart feels heavy. It takes strength to hold on to Jehova when you cannot feel him. Maybe someone feels exactly like that today. Maybe someone is thinking deep inside: “I can’t burn anymore, I have no strength left.” But this is where this crucial thought comes in: “This is the secret of our calling, we are meant to be light.”

Jesus said in Matthew 5:14-16: “You are the light of the world.” Not, you can be it, but you are it. That means even if you feel weak, even if you think your light is small, in Jehova’s eyes, you are light. But the candle was afraid of losing its beauty, and that is so human. We want to appear strong, untouched, in control. But Jehova sees beauty differently. In 2 Corinthians 4:7 we read: “We have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the power beyond what is normal may be God’s and not from us.” Not the perfect, but the fragile reveals God’s light most beautifully.

Imagine a mother. It is late at night. Her child is sick, has a fever, is restless and crying. The mother is tired, exhausted. She could say: “I need sleep now.” But she gets up. She sits by the bed, gently strokes her child’s forehead, and stays hour after hour. As the night passes, her strength fades, but the child feels safe, secure, and loved. Has this mother lost something, or has she shown in that moment the most beautiful thing there is? Love that gives of itself. That is exactly how it is with us. When we give of ourselves, when we give, when we love, we do not lose, we fulfill our purpose.

The match says: “If we are consumed, we do not disappear, others will carry the flame forward.” Maybe you remember someone who once was a light for you, a brother who listened to you, a sister who understood you, a simple conversation at the right time, and that light still lives within you today. In 1 Thessalonians 5:11 it says: “Keep encouraging one another and building one another up.” Every small flame changes the darkness.

Imagine a completely dark room, no windows, no door visible, and someone stands in it, alone, disoriented. Then someone lights a small match, just a tiny light, and yet everything changes. You begin to see outlines, you recognize direction, and you no longer feel alone. That is exactly how your faith works, that is how your effort works, that is how your kind word works. Maybe small, but life-changing.

Then comes this serious statement: “Only the one who refuses will die.” Jesus expressed it similarly in John 12:24: “Unless the grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains just one grain, but if it dies, it bears much fruit.” A life that only protects itself will, in the end, remain alone.

And then comes this moment. The candle lowers its wick. You can almost feel how it does not lose its fear, but lets it go. Not because the fear is gone, but because it has understood that there is something greater than itself. And it says quietly, but firmly: “I ask you, give me your light.” What a prayer. Perhaps one of the most honest prayers there is. “Jehova, I am afraid, but I want to shine.”

In Isaiah 60:1 it says: “Rise up, become bright, for your light has come, and the glory of Jehova shines upon you.” The light does not come from within ourselves, Jehova gives it to us, and we are allowed to pass it on.

Now imagine the candle once more. Now it is burning. Yes, it is changing, yes, it is becoming smaller, but the room is now warm, alive, and full of light. People see one another, find support, and feel safe. And somewhere in a corner stands another candle, still dark, still unsure, and it sees this light and whispers: “I ask you, give me your light.”

The question is not, will it cost me something. The question is, am I willing to truly live. And if we are honest deep in our hearts, then we might say, with tears in our eyes: “Jehova, I am afraid, but give me your light.”.