By Tim Krejci
Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain. —Philippians 2:14-16
When we think of an example of someone who was a light to the world, we think of Jesus. Jesus was the light of the world and Word proves it by calling Jesus “the true light, which gives light to everyone.” Reading through the New Testament, we can find countless times were the followers of God are called to be lights in the dark corners of the world. So the question is, as a follower of Christ how does this relate to us today?
The world we live in is a dark place, its full of lies, deceit, hate, and confusion. But even though the world is dark we as Christians are called to cast off the darkness. We see so many non-believers of the world that fall into sin, physical pleasure, and selfish gain. But even more, while the non-Christians are chasing after the things of the world, we as believers are called to live a different life, to put on Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to please its desires.”
Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. – Matthew 5:16
I think one of the hardest things God calls us to do is to put ourselves our there, cause let’s be honest it’s not an easy thing to do. Jesus said, “Let your light shine before others.” He explained that no one lights a lamp just to hide it. A lamp is meant to be placed on a stand to give light to everything around it. Whether you’re shy or outgoing, you’re called to be a light to the people around you. When Jesus said, “Let your light shine before others,” but this wasn’t the whole sentence. It goes on to give the reason why it’s important to shine: “so that they may see your good works and give glory to our Father who is in heaven.” Our goal should never be to bring recognition to ourselves but to bring all the glory to God. There’s a fine line between being a light and putting on a show to get attention. It’s a matter of the heart.
And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye?- Matthew 7:3
Think of silver, silver has a shine to it when it is new, but as it gets older, silver begins to tarnish and begins to lose its shine. This is very much like how we are. In the same way, sin can dull our shine as lights for Jesus. Before you can be a light to others, take a look at your own life. Has sin dulled the shine of Christ in you? Maybe it’s time to stop, take a moment and ask God to reveal any sins you might be ignoring. If there’s sin you repeatedly struggle with, pray over it. Ask God for His forgiveness and help in changing your heart. Only then will you be able to shine for God fully.
Subscribe to our weekly blog updates