Light – essential for living and foundational to life! Yet so easily and often taken for granted – at least until the electricity goes out at night.
In the spiritual, our light as Christians is the Lord Jesus Himself (John 8:12, 1 John 1:5) and the truth embodied in Him and His revelation (John 1:4, John 14:6). As His witnesses we are to be intentional in sharing Him with others:
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 (Matthew 5:14-16)
Being a light for Christ demands we take the initiative to be proactive in sharing the Lord with others. And how do we do that?
Matthew 5:16 links shining the light with ‘good works.’ And why? ‘That they may see.’ Demonstrating God’s love tangibly is a powerful testimony to those walking in darkness, but is only part of our witness. We’re also called to proclaim the light, that they may hear: “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9).
Our gospel witness is both show and tell. And the hope? That others would be so affected and attracted by our transformed lives, that they would come to know Jesus, the light of the world.
So don’t take the light of Christ for granted. Rather, may we shine The Light in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation (Philippians 2:14-15), that they may know Him and glorify our Father in heaven!
