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Saturday, April 5, 2014

This Little Light of Mine...

Matthew 5:14-16 is a very well known passage of scripture.  Because of familiarity though, we sometimes read and just passed right over it.  This passage 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 (or bushel). 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.

This is a very exciting scripture!  Jesus says that we are the light of the world.  We know that He was the light while He was here on Earth as He stated in John 8:12, but He says that WE ARE now the light of the world.  Yet, what are the implications of His statement? 

Well if we are truly the light, and with this world as dark as it now is, we should be shining brightly and with purpose! Verse 15 tells us that people don’t put a lamp under something to hide it’s light. On the contrary, they put it ‘on a stand’ so that all may see by its light. Our light shouldn’t be hidden, but placed on display so that all may see. 

I’m not saying put your life on display so that others may see ‘you’. Certainly some have done that and have exalted themselves.  That’s clearly not what Jesus intended. Yet we are instructed to let our lives shine ‘before men’.  We should put our lives on display in such a way, that our deeds point others to Christ. 

The scripture says a lamp is placed “on a stand”. Our jobs, our ministries, our outreach efforts, even the raising of families, among other things, can be stands that lift up the light in us to display it to the world.  What platform has God given you to shine His light in? Whether you see it as big or small, we all have some area of influence. Has he given you that influence, that lamp stand so to speak, so that the world might see you, or that you might show the world Jesus?

We are often given great opportunities to let our light shine personally and corporately. Let's use whatever venue, to place the light of Christ in us firmly atop it’s stand so that others might see Him in us.  I believe with all of my heart this is God’s desire for us as His church, in our local fellowships and in this community.  Shine now!  In your home.  In your work place.  At your child’s soccer game.  Walking your dog down the street. At the neighborhood yard sale.  You can display Jesus! Let us set His light atop it’s stand, and let His light shine in our communities!

Your light may seem insignificant to you, but it certainly isn’t to God. Even the smallest light can be seen from the greatest distances in the dark. So shine today! This world around us is so dark, who knows, your light might be seen around the world!