Let It Shine

Read

Matthew 5:14-16 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”

Think

Picture a stormy night when the power goes out. Everything goes black. You can’t see your hand in front of your face. Your little sister starts to cry. Somebody bumps into the coffee table. “Ow!”

Then your dad clicks on a flashlight. Suddenly everyone can see. And what does everyone do? They all come toward the light. The whole family ends up on the couch together, laughing and telling stories in the glow.

One little light made a huge difference. Jesus said you are like that light.

One day, Jesus was teaching a big crowd on a hillside. He said, “You are the light of the world.” He didn’t say you might be someday. He said you ARE the light!

Then Jesus said something kind of funny. “Nobody lights a lamp and then hides it under a bowl.” What’s the point of a light if you cover it up? No, you put a lamp up high where it can light up the whole house.

So what is our light? Jesus tells us. It’s our “good deeds,” the good things we do.

When you help someone pick up the books they dropped, that’s light. When you share your snack, that’s light. When you invite the new kid to play, that’s light. When you tell the truth even though you might get in trouble, that’s light.

But here’s the most important part. Jesus said we shine so people will “glorify your Father in heaven.” Glorify means to give praise. We don’t do good things so people will say, “Wow, you’re so great!” We do them so people will say, “Wow, God is so great!”

Your light points people to God.

The world can feel dark sometimes. People are sad, lonely, or scared. But God made you for a purpose, and part of that purpose is to shine.

You don’t have to be a giant spotlight. Even a small flashlight helps a dark room. So don’t hide your light. Let it shine!

Apply

Shine one light – Do one good deed today without being asked. When someone thanks you, smile and think, “That was for you, God.”

Pray

God, thank you for making me a light. Help me not hide my light. Help me do good things so that people see how great you are. In Jesus’ name. Amen.