Matthew 5:16 – In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. (ESV)

Recently, I have had the chutzpah to update my desktop computer. The undertaking has also involved the updating of my own technological skills due to the advent of new gizmos and widgets. It has been at least seven years since I built the last computer.

As a part of the process of updating the hardware, I decided that the operating system could be updated to the latest Windows 11. Sadly, I found that there were continual issues that prevented a successful update. The Microsoft Health Checker only said NO! It involved some techy stuff that was not sufficiently explained by the machine that said NO.

One key issue was that I had replaced my old hard disk drive with a new solid-state drive. Eventually, I found that it had been formatted incorrectly for the new Windows 11 to run. So, after days of trying to work it out by changing everything else in the start-up, I found that I was required to use a special programme that would convert it from the old format to the new one. However, under the new configuration, there is a far greater capacity for changes, security, and safety.

2 Corinthians 5:17 – Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. (ESV)

When we become Christians, the old pre-Christian being has gone, and we have become a new creation, just like a newborn baby. The outside shell may have stayed the same — with a few scratch marks — but the inner workings have been irreversibly changed. Jesus brings a radical shift in our being. In reality, that is a little simplistic, because our redemption is an ongoing process that carries on until we die — well, it is for me, as I continually rush off at a tangent only to be called back by our faithful Shepherd.

In passing, I noticed that in the new setup, a light no longer lit up that shows when the storage area is being accessed. I checked the light, and it worked fine. In the start-up routine, I had put the computer in "stealth mode", which switched off all the lights, including this indicator. Our Christian lives can become like that: we can unwittingly go into stealth mode and switch off the light of Christ in us so that we no longer shine for Jesus.

So today, may you pray with me to ask Jesus to come into our inner selves once more and switch on the light of Christ to give glory to Jesus our Saviour.

Prayer: Lord, in us and through us, "Shine, Jesus, shine. … Send forth Your Word, Lord, and let there be light." (Graham Kendrick) In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.