"You are the light of the world. A
city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do men light a lamp, and put it under
the peck-measure, but on the lampstand; and it gives light to all who are in
the house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your
good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven."
Salt is a hidden but powerful influence. Light is a visible and revealing influence. Jesus tells us that we are not only to be the salt of the earth but also the light of the world. We are called to make a visible impact on the world around us.
How do we do that? Well, Jesus said that we needed to make the light
visible to as many as possible by refusing to allow it to be hidden but rather
positioning it so it shines on everyone around.
There are some who claim that a person's religion is to be a personal
thing. I agree that it is a personal thing in that each person must make a
personal decision whether they are going to believe in Jesus. But this is not
generally what those making this statement mean. They usually mean that it
should be kept to oneself - not openly shared. And they usually make the
statement in order to avoid sharing what they believe or do not believe. But
Jesus teaches that a person's faith is to be openly shared and lived before the
watching world. It is to shine forth for all to see, not so we can proclaim how
good a person we are, but so that others can know there is a God who loves them
and will act on their behalf. We are to influence others for God.
President Woodrow Wilson told the story of one such encounter. He said: "I was in a very common place. I was sitting in a barber chair, when I became
aware that a powerful personality had entered the room. A man had come quietly in upon the same errand
as myself, to have his hair cut, and sat in the chair next to me. Every word
the man uttered, though it was not in the least didactic, showed a personal
interest in the man who was serving him. And before I got through with what was
being done to me, I was aware that I had attended an evangelistic service,
because Mr. D.L. Moody was in that chair. I purposely lingered in the room
after he had left and noted the singular effect that his visit had brought upon
the barber shop. They talked in undertones. They didn't know his name but they
knew something had elevated their thoughts, and I felt that I left that place
as I should have left a place of worship."
Our lives should be lives that reflect something more than the world has,
because we have more than they have, we have Jesus. He has saved us, forgiven
us, changed our hearts, given us hope, put His love in us, given us joy, set
our feet on the rock which cannot be shaken. If He does not make a difference
in your life, then you either need to be born again or you need to repent of
sin and allow Him to rekindle the fire of your first love.
Jesus said that we are to let our lights shine before men in such a way
that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven. In
other words, there must be an intentionality to letting our lights shine. We
must determine to be deliberately evangelistic through good deeds and acts of
kindness. When people see that we are people who care because we are people who
know Him, they will see more clearly. The light will shine on them.
Is the light of Christ shining through you? Are you allowing His light to
be made visible in your life? Or has the light gone out? Has the passion for
God become religious ritual and routine? Don't hide the light under a pot. Take
it out and hold it high. We were not created to be secret disciples or to have
quiet discussions on religious topics. We were created in the new creation to
be firebrands for God - torches which are held high to burn for Him.
Scripture to Claim:
In Him was
life, and the life was the Light of men.
The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend
it. John 1:4-5
