Let Your Light Shine

by Sarah Brady

“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.”
--Matthew 5:14-16 (ESV)

Very few people today would argue that the world is without trouble. Whenever we turn on the news on television or click on an online news service, we are confronted with disturbing headlines. In the face of dangers and disasters, it can sometimes be tempting to become discouraged, to give in to worry about ourselves and our loved ones, to go hide ourselves away in some safe place, even to throw our hands up and say, “It’s hopeless! I’m just one person; I can’t do enough to make a difference in the world!” That’s just what Satan would have us do, but that’s not the Lord’s plan.

Have you ever met a woman who seems to shine? You know—the sort of person who can make any situation better, who is joyful in the worst of times, who prevails over adversity, who in the midst of trouble proclaims the goodness of God and helps to bring others to Him?

That woman is putting into practice Christ’s admonition found in Matthew 5:14-16, which says, “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.” Whenever we think of this passage, we may be tempted to gloss over its power because of its simplicity. After all, we understand the concept so well, right? We all turn on lamps in our homes and see by their light; we certainly would not turn them on just to hide them! Unfortunately, though, we tend to do the opposite in our own lives. How often do we fail to share the great things the Lord has done? How often do we become discouraged by circumstances, forgetting the power of God? How often do we dismiss opportunities the Lord gives us to show others His greatness?

Ironically, the principle of letting our light shine is often one of the first taught to children in church. Many of us can probably remember singing this song when we were young:

This little light of mine
I’m going to let it shine
Oh, this little light of mine
I’m going to let it shine
This little light of mine
I’m going to let it shine
Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.

Although we may be tempted to dismiss it as just a child’s song, we would be mistaken in doing so. What a reminder it holds: so simple, yet so true—and, unfortunately, so easy to forget.

A couple of years ago, as I was shopping for graduation presents, I came across a bookmark at our local Barnes and Noble. The bookmark was simple; made of a plain pewter-like metal, its primary adornment was the following quotation attributed to Francis of Assisi: “All the darkness in the world cannot extinguish the light of a single candle.” I promptly bought one for all of our Christian friends who were graduating that year, as well as one for myself. Why? Experience had shown me how easy it is to lose our passion—to douse our flame—to put out our light when we face the daily trials of the world. The bookmark is a favorite of mine and reminds me that, no matter how dark the world may become, my light—and yours—will still make a difference. In fact, the darker the world becomes, the more power our lights will have. So today and everyday let’s shine our lights in order to bring others to our glorious God.
 

Sarah Brady is an assistant professor and a writer. She is married to a wonderful man who is currently in medical school. They enjoy serving together at church, where he teaches a Bible study class and she sings in the choir and in an ensemble. In her free time (what little there is), she likes to read, write, act, and go hiking.  If you would like to comment on this article, feel free to email writers@blessedlady.com.

Words of Wisdom