Let Your Light Shine
Jesus said: "Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven" (Matthew 5:16).
It very well could be that the song "This Little Light of Mine" was inspired from this scripture. Each one of us has a light inside of us that we bring to our friends, our family, our community, and our church.
What exactly does letting our "light shine before others" actually mean? When we think of letting our light shine, don't we think about letting God shine out of us as He is working miracle after miracle in our lives?
Adding to Matthew 5:16, the scripture in Psalms 119:105 says "Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path." This verse describes the source of the light. What an encouragement to know that by our simple action of feasting on God's Word, a light will shine out of us that others will see, and when they see the results of our lives because of God working in us, those results will give glory, honor, and praise to God.
Based on this understanding, we probably are very comfortable with the words "Let your light shine before others," but how comfortable are we with the next few words: "that they may see our good deeds"?
For most people, when we talk about letting others see our good works we think about pride, arrogance, and attention-seeking. But is that what Jesus was saying when He stated "Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds"? No. The good deeds that are being referred to are the actions that come from being faithful to the ministry of Jesus. The visibility of our good deeds is to bring attention to God.
So what is Jesus saying to us through Matthew 5:16? Maybe we are to put attention on shining just for the sake of shining. Could it actually mean that we are to be excited about what God is doing in our lives and we are to tell others about it? We can wager a "yes" with confidence because of the final phrase in this same scripture: "and glorify your Father in heaven."
Wouldn't we hope for and want to have good deeds and Christ-like behavior because of what God has done for us and through us?
Today, let's let our lights shine. Let's focus on letting others see Jesus in us. Let's glorify your Father in heaven with confidence. Don't hold back. Go through the day singing these words to the song "Shine, Jesus, Shine":
Lord, the light of your love is shining
In the midst of the darkness, shining
Jesus, Light of the world, shine upon us
Set us free by the truth you now bring us
Shine on me, shine on me
Shine, Jesus, shine
Fill this land with the Father's glory
Blaze, Spirit, blaze
Set our hearts on fire
Flow, river, flow
Flood the nations with grace and mercy
Send forth your word
Lord, and let there be light
