“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.” (Matthew 5:14-16 NIV)
Have you ever found yourself in an uncomfortable situation that you wished you could avoid? I have. In fact, I recently had one of those moments where I felt like I didn’t quite fit in. The people I encountered had different mindsets that didn’t align with what I believed to be true of God’s Word. In this day and age where everyone is sensitive towards everything, I didn’t want to engage in a controversial conversation that could offend someone, but guess what? I did. I respectfully shared my beliefs about the situation and thankfully, there was no offense taken. All seemed well until I went home and kept thinking about the people and conversations. God eventually showed me that the reason I happened to be where I was that day was to shine, not hide, His light.
After calling His followers, “the light of the world,” Jesus went on to say that as His light, we cannot hide. The whole purpose of light is to shine. Like a “town built on a hill cannot be hidden,” our light cannot be ignored. We’re here to make a difference, and the greater the darkness, the brighter our light ought to shine. Even when we want to run and hide from it all, we’re called, now more than ever, to be the light…His light. If you find yourself in a dark place right now, go ahead and turn the light on. Be the reason somebody finds the Way out of the dark today.
Rising with the Son 