Are you a light to the world?
Matthew 5:14-16 says “You are the light of the world. A city 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 men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”
Jesus’ followers are called to be light and salt to the world. As you live your life you are commanded to love your neighbor as yourself. What does it mean to love your neighbor as yourself? It is the living out of the “Golden Rule”: "do unto others as you would have them do unto you." That is simply a way of saying that you should consider your actions toward and around other people as an example to them. How will they feel about what you just said or did and would you want or expect someone to do the same things to or around you?
It is not as difficult as it might seem, but as you begin to live a life more like Christ you will find that others are expecting you to fail and laugh when you do. Unbelievers expect that you will be sinless and perfect just because of the faith you profess. We are taught that the opposite is true. You will fail and you will make mistakes. The solace we have is that Jesus will forgive us for our sins and we can find hope in the knowledge that because he paid the price for us, we can enjoy the benefit of spending eternity in Heaven with him.
Jesus’ act of dying on the cross was his gift to us. A gift that we should not take for granted. We can freely choose to accept the gift and the responsibility of living an obedient life or we can reject the gift and be separated from God for eternity. You can choose, but when you choose to call yourself a believer you begin to see the fruit of the spirit in your life. Others will begin to see the joy of the Lord on your soul and they will begin to question where your peace and happiness come from. This will be your opportunity to share the good news with them. God does the calling and the leading down the path to salvation but he uses us to speak to the lost on his behalf.
So take heed of Matthew 5:14-16 and do not hide your light under a basket. Let your light shine into the darkness of your life and the lives of those around you and maybe you will be blessed with the opportunity of being involved in lighting someone else’s lantern. Then, as the lights around you begin to multiply you will live a life of bright and shining glory instead of a life of darkness and depression.
Don’t be afraid to let your light shine…
