“Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven. ” Matthew 5:16.
I will start with the following scripture which declares Jesus as the light in the world.
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.” John 1:1-5.
John starts his gospel by declaring Jesus had no beginning because He always was, and everything that exists does so because of Him. In verse 4, we see He was the light that shined on truth, making it accessible to everyone. And this was why Jesus came into this world, to profess this truth. The truth of the gospel may have been accessible, but it was not always accepted. During the time He was here, Jesus went everywhere declaring the truth that brought salvation to all who accepted Him. The whole time He was here, He shined the light of truth to all who were open to hearing it. And now that He has died, resurrected and gone home to heaven, He has left this now up to us. In Matthew’s gospel we read these words of Jesus,
“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” Matthew 5:14-16.
In a historical perspective, the phrase “The light of the World” was not a new idea of Jesus. We see this in a statement below from the Center for Holy Land Studies.
“He is using contemporary language to declare himself to be the embodiment of the Word of God, its authoritative interpreter, and further, the very dwelling presence of God himself! These are astounding claims that would have attracted attention both positive and negative, but His intended meanings would have been perfectly clear to everyone in His original audiences, regardless of their response.” From “Center for Holy Land Studies” written by Wave Nunnally on August 23, 2017.
Also, according to the Center for Holy Land Studies, there were three ways the phrase ‘Light of the World’ was used by the Jews prior to Jesus’ coming. It would refer to Rabbis, the Temple, and the Torah which was the Word of God.
As children of God and as seen in our focus verse, we should be lights in the world. Everyone should look at us and see the truth and reality of our Christian walk as they watch us in action. There are many ways this happens. Here are seven ways we can do this.
First, we must make sure we work on doing what is right and not doing what is wrong.
“So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.” James 4:17
We must not fall into worldly ways and patterns even if it is declared OK by the world. We have to be in this world, but that does not mean we should act as world does if it is clear it is sin. Our calling is to share the truth of the gospel to everyone. If we speak to people about the truth of Christ and the gospel while they see us still living in sin, they will find it difficult to take what we tell them as truth. In essence, we would be covering the light we say we are shining.
Next, we must treat others as we want to be treated.
“In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you, for this is the Law and the Prophets.” Matthew 7:12.
We must be kind to all we come into contact with, no matter if they are kind to us or not. If we are not, there is no doubt they will not listen to us, and maybe anyone else who attempts to share the gospel to them. And this includes those who are our enemies.
“But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? If you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?” Matthew 5:44-48.
Third, we must practice humility.
“Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you.” James 4:10.
We must be humble and admit when we are wrong. We must be willing to say we are sorry and try to be better next time. We can have ambitions, but we must remember who we serve. It’s not about how amazing we are, but rather how amazing God is. The perfect example of humility was when Jesus washed His disciples’ feet. It was a pure display of humility and servitude, and we must be willing to do the same even when it can be uncomfortable.
Next, we must give God thanks even during challenging times.
“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.” Psalm 23:4.
We must always be grateful, regardless of our circumstances. This will build a solid and deeper relationship with God, and ultimately with other people.
God is always by our side. He can bring a good out of every evil situation. He forgives our sins and loves us completely. Even during the most challenging times, there are always things to be thankful for. The next time we feel disheartened we must focus on all the things or people we are thankful to God for. If we are going through hard times, we must always remember all that God has brought us through, knowing He will bring us through everything we will experience.
Also, we must be willing to go out and be with others.
“And do not neglect doing good and sharing, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.” Hebrews 13:16.
Growing up I was a severe introvert. It took a lot to talk with a stranger. I’m getting better at it as God helps me be more comfortable. Regardless of whether we are shy or outgoing, as a Christian we are called to be a light to everyone around us. As our focus verse says,
“Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” Matthew 5:16.
And this is only possible if we put ourselves out there, interacting with people and nurturing constructive relationships.
Sixth, we must resolve to follow God in everything.
“And He was saying to them all, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me.” Luke 9:23.
God expects us to be a light while giving us the ability to do so. We must be firm and formidable in our resolve to follow the Lord in everything we do. We must not get distracted or waver in our beliefs, staying focused on God and his light. While this takes discipline, sacrifice, and courage, it’s an important step in being Christ-like. We should do this frequently throughout the day. He will provide us with strength and be our loving guide if we open our heart to Him.
And last, we must love and Trust the Lord.
“Trust in the LORD with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6.
And
“Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’” Matthew 22:37.
We can lose our joy when we become clouded by our sins as well as the sins of the world. If sin in any way dulls our light, we must take time to examine our life and ask God to show us things we may be unaware of. He’ll get us back on the right path if we ask for help and forgiveness. Let’s face it, we are not perfect, but through prayer, we can address where we’ve gone wrong and get back to living the life He planned for us.
As we live our lives here, it is important we strive to live a life that focuses on God, and that we live a life that is pleasing to God in all ways. For if it is pleasing to God, it is a life that will be a light to others. And this is important, for if we do not follow the ways of God in our Christian life, why should those who see us not living it out.
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