How Does Your Light Shine?

“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”  Matthew 5:16

The above verse is one of my favorite Bible verses because it is a positive statement that emphasizes the joyful duty of the believer to represent the Lord before a lost and dying world.  Believers are to conduct every facet of our lives in a way that brings glory to God and shows the world that serving God is the most satisfying and peaceful way to live.  Our lights, that is, our witness and our lives are not to shine as a spotlight upon ourselves as if we were some sort of spiritual celebrities trying to call attention to ourselves.  Unfortunately there are celebrity ministers who bring too much attention to themselves rather than shining their light on Christ and thus bringing a reproach upon Christ and the gospel.  They are seen by the world as charlatans who prey upon folks for money.

What else are we here for if not to be a light to the lost world and show them the way to Christ?  I thought of an old song that we used to sing in church, “Let My Life Be A Light”.  The chorus goes like this, “Let my life be a light, shining out through the night.  May I help struggling ones to the fold.  Spreading cheer everywhere to the sad and the lone, let my life be a light to some soul”.  This world is pretty dark and getting darker by the day.  Many folks are living their lives without a real hope for the future.  Unless we live before them as people who exude a joy and a peace that is only found through Christ, how else will they know that they don’t have to go through life wondering what their purpose is or living a selfish, unfulfilled life?

Most people who are searching for peace and contentment do not really know where to find it.  But, if we are being the salt and light that we should be, those searchers will know where to turn for answers.  That is a big responsibility on our part, but we serve a big God.