Matthew 5:14- 16 says, “Here’s another way to put it: You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We’re going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don’t think I’m going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I’m putting you on a light stand. Now that I’ve put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you’ll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven.”
What good is a light that doesn’t shine? It would not serve its purpose.
In the same way, hidden light is of no value. Light that fulfills its purpose must shine. Jesus commanded us to let our light shine before others. He says we ARE the light of the world!
But what does it mean to shine our light?
Light has one purpose, to get rid of darkness. Imagine sitting in a large auditorium with no lights on and no windows to let in natural light. (That would be a little scary.) We would be in pitch darkness, but if one person would turn their cell phone light on, everyone would see it. The light of one small cell phone can extinguish the darkness of an entire room. It doesn’t take a huge spotlight to make a difference! (Isn’t that exciting news!)
When Jesus calls us to shine our lights, he is calling us to get rid of the darkness, to light up our dark world with his light.
We do this by…
-Obeying God
-Following what we learn in the Bible
-Treating everyone we come across with the same love and compassion.
Make a difference. Be a Light!