Matthew 5:13-16, You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet. You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
If you have been in church for more than 5 minutes then this verse is probably very familiar to you. We even sang songs in Sunday school like “this little light of mine” that we will most likely be able to sing from memory for the rest of our lives haha.
But as simple as this verse is and as easy it is to remember the songs that remind us of it, it can be equally as hard to live it out. Jesus is almost giving us laughable examples of how hard it should be for us to hide the fact that we are followers of Christ and that the Holy Spirit dwells inside of us. Almost as if we would have to actively be trying to hide it in order for people to not see it.
Let that sink in for a second. It is truly a sobering thought.
It should be so hard to hide the fact that we are followers of Christ that it's as if we were covering a lamp so that no one could see its light any more. Meaning, the light is on, ie. Christ is in you, but we work to hide that by covering it up, for instance, living and acting as people who are not in Christ live and act.
So what does it look like to be a light on a hill for all to see? Well, verse 16 tells us to let our light shine before others, so that they may see our good works and give glory to our Father who is in heaven. I think the thing that stands out to me the most here is the concept of being seen and not necessarily heard. Lights don't talk, they shine. Although I believe sharing the gospel of Christ verbally is important, I think these verses really speak to the way you live and act being a reflection of Christ within you. And that being what draws people to God. To the point where it is saying that, through acting like a person who lives for Christ and strives to be more and more like Jesus, observers will have no other option than to see Christ and “give glory to the Father who is in heaven”.
What is cool about this to me is how it actually takes the pressure off of us. Many times as Christians I think we believe it is our responsibility to save people. Well, that can’t be supported by scripture and we don’t have the power to do that. Rather what we can do is be a direct reflection of Christ into the world so that people see him in us. We can share the light of Christ through our words and actions. And as a result Christ can work on their hearts, build a relationship with them, and save their soul.
Does this mean that you need to study apologetics and stand on street corners shouting scripture at people walking by, no. But I won’t sit here and say that God hasn’t put desires in people’s hearts to do that and has equipped them for that type of ministry. Rather I do believe it means that you need to be intentional about the promptings of the Holy Spirit in your life.
We are constantly a work in progress. If you think you have arrived and met your spiritual peak in your relationship with Christ and your impact on the world around you then I am here to break the unfortunate, yet very important, news to you that you haven't. Yikes, sorry about that haha. With that we have a teacher who is constantly trying to help us grow and learn. But like with any other teacher (parents and teachers alike can relate to this) we don’t always listen, we second guess, we procrastinate, we do the bare minimum, etc. And as a result we prolong the learning process significantly.
So I encourage you, as cliche as the “WWJD” approach is, it carries a lot of truth to it. When in moments of behavioral decision, all of which are littered throughout scripture, for instance:
James 1:19b-20
Be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God
John 13:34-35
A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.
Colossians 3:12-13
Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.
And when in doubt, go back to the fruits of the Spirit:
Galatians 5:22-26
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.
… take a deep breath and think, what would Jesus do in this situation? What would reflect Jesus in my next word or action?
Easier said than done, I know. But this is what we are called to do. So as men of God, let us put on our big boy pants, suck up our pride and ego problems, and act more like Christ daily. Because as tough as you are, and as difficult as you think you may have had it or still do have it, no matter your trauma, your temptation, or how others have treated you, Christ was tougher and he had it all happen to him too and he chose love, kindness, gentleness, forgiveness, and so much more.
So let us remember daily, and in every moment of decision, the light is in us and it’s shining, don’t cover it up. Aka, get out of the way and let God work in you and through you.
Like anything else that truly matters, it takes work, so get to work. You will find that the more you work at it, the better you get, and the easier it becomes.
Written by: Brandon Kress
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