It is a sobering thought to realize that our life is constantly “giving off” something to others around us and our environment. Some define this by saying; “That person has a really good presence about them.” Some other terms used to define what people are giving off are; energy, vibe, positive, negative and many other terms whether good or bad. Have you ever really thought about what you give off? What do people say about your “presence”?

One of the many amazing things about the Gospel is that when Jesus saves us and brings the life of God inside our soul, He wants to shine through us. In other words, it is Jesus that we are to be “giving off” as a result of His active presence within our soul. Jesus says in Matthew 5:14-16,

“You are the light of the world – like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will  praise your heavenly Father.”

As the presence of Jesus burns within our heart we give off a light to the world around us as we live more and more like Jesus. This light is to be a catalyst to light other people’s hearts alive with the life of God inside their soul. None of this is possible unless we learn to kindle the fire of passion for the presence of God. We all need someone who is on fire for God, so we can light our candle at their flame. One of my lifetime mentors who I find myself going back to regularly to get my fire for God stocked is AW Tozer. I recommend his book, Pursuit of God, to you and encourage you to put it on your reading list for the new year.

“The flame of the Presence was the beating heart of the Levitical order. Without  it all the appointments of the tabernacle were characters of some unknown language having no meaning for Israel or for us. The greatest fact of the tabernacle was that Jehovah was there; a Presence was waiting within the veil…Similarly, the presence of God is the central fact of Christianity. At the heart of the Christian message is God Himself waiting for His redeemed children to push in to conscious awareness of His presence.”  – AW Tozer