Let your light shine

We all remember the old Sunday school song “This Little Light of Mine” that goes like “this little light of mine, I’m going to let it shine. Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.” This song was song a lot in churches and during the Civil Rights Movement as a sign of hope. Light can have a very scientific definition, but also very simple definitions. In its most simple form, light is simply the absence of darkness.

In the Bible, light is related to holiness, God’s presence, hope, revelation, and goodness. In the beginning, God created light because the world was dark.

Genesis 1:2-5Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.

From this, we see that without light, the earth was formless and empty. When something is empty it has no substance, or value. Without form means lacking order or arrangement. When I go into a room that is without light, there is bound to be an accident. I am more than likely going to bump into something and hurt myself, make something fall and break, and have no sense of direction.

In our world today, we can see that there is a lack of order. Many of the things mentioned in 2 Timothy 3 are currently happening. We have become lovers of money, boastful, unforgiving, without self-control, conceited and more. But as Christians, we are called to both be the light and walk in the light. By following Christ, we should be walking in the light because we know that Jesus is the light of the world.

John 8:12When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.”

When going through our days, we don’t have to walk around looking like everyone else. When all hope seems lost and we are confused and needing to hear from God, we can turn to His word. He promises to provide us the light of life. This light will give us the outline to our lives.

Psalm 119:105 Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.

 When we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord AND Savior, He gave us a charge. We are not to just be in the world living but being a light in a dark world. When it’s dark and you see a light shining, you immediately are drawn to it. You are intrigued and walk towards it. If a light is dim, it loses its power. Without light we cannot be prepared for the dangers that may be ahead of us. Living in a dark world, we should be leading others to Christ, for we are children of light. I read an article that talked about some of the benefits of sunlight. From sunlight, we receive key vitamins, the ability to focus and ability to be more productive. It is very important to our overall wellbeing. The absence of Vitamin D can lead to depression. Benefits of natural daylight also includes improved memory. So, when we think about this in terms of Jesus being the light of the world, SONlight, the benefits and lack thereof are the same. Without Jesus (the true light), we miss out on things that are required for us to live a Christ-centered life. Without The Light, we are lost, and our feelings of depression and anxiousness begin to increase. We can’t stay focused because we are worried and hopeless. Without The Light, we have no direction. And this doesn’t mean that we can’t experience these things as Christians, it just means that with Jesus, we know how the story ends. His word tells us that He is always working things out for our good and He is with us always.

We are commanded to let our light shine.

Matthew 5:16“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

Everything that we do should be done to glorify our Father in Heaven. As I mentioned before, we are here on purpose for a purpose. Our lives should point people towards Christ because his light rubs off onto us. God is love, so we show love, God is forgiving, so we forgive, God shows mercy, so we show mercy.

It’s easy to get caught up in the darkness because it’s all around us. But we have to remember that God calls us to something greater. We must pray for boldness in our walk because the enemy is trying to dim our lights, shut our mouths, and stop our purpose. We must not dim our light for any reason. Stand firm in the faith! I believe that we are put in places to be the light within our families, in our workplaces, in the restaurants, at the football games, anywhere we are. We carry our light with us wherever we go because our light brings truth to every lie of the enemy. The Bible tells us in Ephesians 5 that evil will be exposed when the light shines.

Colossians 4:5-6Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.

What does your conversation lead others to? When people look at you, do they see a reflection of Christ? How are you letting your light shine in dark places?

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