“You are the light of the world—like a city on a mountain, glowing in the night for all to see.” - Matthew 5:14
When Jesus said, “You are the light of the world,” he meant just that. He didn’t say, “Would you like to be the light of the world?” or “I would be so pleased if you got around to being the light of the world before you die.” He said, “You are the light of the world.” If Jesus, the Light, lives within, he lives to shine without. He wants us to shine first into the dark world; second, into the lives of other Christians; and third, into our homes.
We must let our light shine into the world. Jesus told us that we are to be as bright as “a city on a mountain, glowing in the night for all to see” (Matthew 5:14). Such a light cannot be hidden, and neither can the light of the world. The surrounding darkness will only enhance its shining.
We must also shine in the church. “But if we are living in the light of God’s presence . . . then we have fellowship with each other” (1 John 1:7). As we let the light search our hearts and as we obey its revelations, we will keep our relationships light and right.
We must be light in our homes. “Don’t hide your light under a basket! Instead, put it on a stand and let it shine for all,” said Jesus (Matthew 5:15). We shine when we serve and love our families. We shine most of all when we live our lives on the lampstand of love.
For Further Study: Matthew 5:1-16
Excerpted from The One Year Devotions for Women, Copyright ©2000 by Jill Briscoe. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers. All rights reserved.
For more from Jill Briscoe, please visit TellingtheTruth.org.
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