How can we SHINE our LIGHTS in our DARK WORLD?
October 9
Bible Reading: Matthew Chapters 4-6
How can we SHINE our LIGHTS in our DARK WORLD?
"You are the light of the world. A city
that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it
under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the
house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works
and glorify your Father in heaven." (Matt. 5:14-16)
In the
introductory verses of the Gospel of John, Jesus Christ is referred to as "the true Light which gives light to
every man coming into the world" (John 1:9), and He was the Light that
came into the world (see John 3:19-21). Later on, Jesus spoke of Himself as “the light of the world” (John 8:12;
12:35, 36, 46). As Jesus starts to teach His followers the principles of God’s
kingdom, however, He calls His followers “the
light of the world” (v. 14). The relationship between these two seemingly
contradictory statements is that Jesus is
the source of light, and we (His
followers) are the reflection of His
light. Our function is to shine for Jesus
just as the moon reflects the light of the sun!
For us, following
Christ goes far beyond private spirituality. It involves our public life,
particularly through work and participation in our communities. We use the
light shed in our hearts not only to illuminate but also to communicate. Thus,
Jesus wants us (as His followers) to shine, to be visible and attractive, not
to bring attention to ourselves, but to bring people to God (v. 16). As the “light of the world”, we are to witness our
faith in Christ through our personal example and manifest the light by our
testimonies and actions.
God provides
the light and it continues to shine, but as believers we must keep our lives clean before the Lord in order not to cover
up the light which He has placed within us. We need to make sure that nothing
comes between us and God (see 2 Cor. 3:18; Phil. 2:14–16). We know that even the smallest light can dispel the
greatest darkness. Therefore, we should let our light shine through a clean life before God and
before the world in which we live that is a witness to the glory and grace of
God.
The light of salvation that we have received
in our hearts is also reflected through our good works (acts of mercy and
compassion reflected from our transformed lives) that glorify our Heavenly
Father. We need to both ‘show and tell’
to others as no one wants to hear what we have to say about God’s love until
they see it reflected in our words and actions. Through the light of our
testimonies and the impact of our acts of service, people should see the
evidence of Christ in our lives. Our actions (light) should point people to the
One who is The Light. God has placed
us in a specific environment that allows us to shine His light in our dark
world.
Thus, we
have a valuable treasure of our faith locked in our hearts which should be
reflected so that others will understand their need for salvation through
Christ. Let us share our hearts with the light of the gospel so that others can
open their hearts to God. Are we shining brilliantly with the love and truth of
Christ before others today?
