Shine like the stars

These are some statistics I found that contrast the year 1990 and the year 2000.
The number of Juvenile arrests for drug abuse rose 121%.
The number of Juvenile arrests for drug possession rose 188%.
The drug arrest rate has risen 35% and the number of federal drug seizures rose 292%.
The number of child abuse cases increased by 25%.
The number of inmates in State and Federal Correctional Facilities increased by 82%.
The number of adults on probation, in jail or prison, or on parole has increased by 49%. And if we go back to 1980, it’s an increase of 253%.
Fortunately the number of violent crimes declined by 20%, but there were still over 11.6 million.
There are over 100 new cases of AIDS reported every day in the U.S. and its territories. It is estimated that over 337,000 persons are infected with the AIDS virus in the same.
There are almost 39 times as many cases of sexually transmitted diseases than cases of chicken pox reported annually.
There have been over one million divorces in America every year since 1975.
The number of babies born to unmarried mothers increased to 33.2% from 26.6%. When you break it down by race, the figures are even more startling.
There are over five million households in America where people are cohabiting without marriage.
The number of single parent families has almost doubled and represent almost half of all family groups today.
this is the society we live in. This is the culture we are called to minister to.
YEsterday we talked about living our lives as blameless and pure so that we can shine like the stars. How important it is that we become a light in the darkness to contrast these scary numbers.
"You are the light of the world. A city 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 men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven” (Matt. 5:14-16).
God is looking for light but remember, He's looking for candles not firecrackers. Too often we give strong examples and glimpses of living Christian lifestyles rather than the whole lifestyle. Let your light shine today by being a genuine authentic Christian in all that you do!

Thanks for reading and have a great day!