How to Let Your Light
Shine
So we see
that Jesus calls His followers to be light, but exactly how do we let our light
shine? Jesus explains: “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see
your good works and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16). A primary
means of showing God’s light is representing the goodness of God through our
works—our actions. In the words of the Christian songwriter Steven Curtis
Chapman, we are to “live out loud.” We do so by acting as God would want us to
in our friendships, marriages, families, work, and so on. As people see attributes
such as kindness, joy, love, patience, and regard for God in our lives, it stands in contrast
with the darkness so prevalent in this world; it is light shining through the
lives of Christ’s people.
Sadly, we
can be tempted to hide our light (as Jesus points out). This is because we may
be afraid to stick out because of our lifestyle and beliefs. Society today is
increasingly antagonistic toward those who openly claim belief in Christ and who
seek to persuade others to follow Him. The high regard for relativism does not
coincide well with the exclusive claims of Jesus and His form of righteousness.
But we must remember that the way of Christ has never been popular, which is
why Jesus encourages His followers not to hide their light. To put one’s light
under a covering is to squander the very purpose of light itself—to shine in
the darkness. So we must openly let our light shine for Jesus and not succumb
to the pressure to in some way hide it.
When we do
this, Jesus says, people will “see your good works and glorify your Father in
heaven.” The ultimate purpose of living as Jesus calls us to is to reflect the
reality of who God is. People will be drawn to God and glorify Him as they see
the work He does through His people. So are you having an effect on the world
as God’s salt and light? Are people being drawn to God by the way you live? Jesus
calls us to live in community as His church (meeting together regularly) that
we may become saltier and brighter and have an increasingly greater effect on
this world. The following parts of Jesus’ sermon will detail specific ways in
which His people can carry out living as salt and light. We will see what kind
of righteousness Jesus is calling us to. It is a righteousness that is
different than what humans (even religious ones) naturally strive for, but it is a
righteousness that will lead us to stand out brightly and be used in a tremendous
way for God.
Scripture quotations are taken from the New King
James Version. Copyright © 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson,
Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
No comments:
Post a Comment