You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. 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.
Matthew 5:14 – 16
When you turned on the light this morning, what did you see? Was it the cold floor of your bedroom? How about the comfort of the kitchen as you stumbled towards the coffee? For me, I saw my disaster of a den with toys, games, and books strewn all about – and some of them were even my children’s!
Now, how many of you noticed the light itself? Did you say to yourself, “Boy, that’s a wonderful lamp. I’m glad to see it first thing in the morning!” Why not? Because a lamp isn’t supposed to draw attention to itself; it’s supposed to shine so that people can see.
The same is true of us. Jesus tells us in these verses that we are the light of the world. As awesome as that truth is, it’s not about us. Like the lamp, we are called to let our light shine so that others can see not us, but the beauty, the glory, and the goodness of God.
And we accomplish this by reflecting who He is in how we act. When we act like Him, people will see how wonderful He really is. Because…
When we are holy and good, people will see that God is holy and good. When we forgive, people will see that our God forgives. When we strive for peace, justice, and healing, others will see that our God cares about peace, justice, and healing. When we care for the poor, the lonely, the outcast, and even the annoying, people will see that our God cares for all people. And when we love others – even when they don’t deserve it – people will see just how loving our God is.
Letting our light shine isn’t easy. We will go outside our comfort zones, interact with people who grate against us, and have to forgive genuine pain. It’s hard, but our light must shine all the same; the world needs the Light of Christ!
Just two or three minutes of the news should convince you that the world has much darkness. But that doesn’t mean the light of Christ has been snuffed out. He still shines, and He still shines in and through us. Let’s shine brightly, so that this dark world will see the True Light, Jesus Himself.
You already are the light of the world… Let your light shine!
In Christ,
BJ
