Shine Your Light

Shine Your Light   Matthew 5:14-16 14You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.  15Nor do men light a lamp and put it under a peck measure, but on a lamp stand, and it gives light to all in the house.  16Let your light so shine before men that they may see your moral excellence and your praiseworthy, noble, and good deeds and recognize and honor and praise and glorify your Father Who is in heaven. Yesterday we talked about being salt, today we’ll discuss being light. There are quite a few things we can learn from this passage. If you look up the definition of light the first one listed is God- as a source of spiritual illumination and strength. The next definition is the energy producing a sensation of brightness that makes seeing possible.  Another way light is defined is something that ignites something. We are the light of the world. The light of God on the inside of us is what will cause us to shine so brightly. We have the ability to bring illumination and strength to the world around us. There are those in our lives who find a sense of direction and comfort just from being around us. Even as light makes seeing possible, the light of God in us can help the world around us to see clearly. Even though we have light in us, are using that light to help others? Verse 15 says men don’t light a lamp and then put it under a basket, but rather place it on a lamp stand so that everyone in the house can benefit from it’s light. Is your light benefiting everyone around you? Or do you hide it because you are afraid to let everyone around you know who you are in Christ? Verse 16 says let your light shine before men. We are supposed to let others see the light of God in us.   We are supposed to be different. People should see in us a moral excellence, godly character, and recognize the light of Christ in us. Not so they will glorify us, but so that they will glorify our Father. When those in the world recognize something different about us, our lives can bring them to a place where they recognize their need for what we have.  Proverbs 4:18 says 18But the path of the [uncompromisingly] just and righteous is like the light of dawn, that shines more and more (brighter and clearer) until [it reaches its full strength and glory in] the perfect day [to be prepared]. If we keep our focus on living a life that is righteous, in right-standing with God, our path will shine with His light. His light in us will dispel the darkness not only in our lives but in the lives of everyone we come into contact with.

Endurance brings Godliness

2 Peter 1:5-8 5For this very reason, adding your diligence [to the divine promises], employ every effort in exercising your faith to develop virtue (excellence, resolution, Christian energy), and in [exercising] virtue [develop] knowledge (intelligence),    6And in [exercising] knowledge [develop] self-control, and in [exercising] self-control [develop] steadfastness (patience, endurance), and in [exercising] steadfastness [develop] godliness (piety),    7And in [exercising] godliness [develop] brotherly affection, and in [exercising] brotherly affection [develop] Christian love.   8For as these qualities are yours and increasingly abound in you, they will keep [you] from being idle or unfruitful unto the [full personal] knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One).

When we get to the place we are patiently enduring, we develop godliness in our lives. How does enduring help us to develop godliness? If we get to the place where we are enduring, that means we have already become developed in self-control, knowledge, virtue and faith.  Each one of these things brings us to a new level in Christ. The more we learn to walk in the spirit, the more we become like Christ. 1 Timothy 4:8-9 says 8For physical training is of some value (useful for a little), but godliness (spiritual training) is useful and of value in everything and in every way, for it holds promise for the present life and also for the life which is to come.   9This saying is reliable and worthy of complete acceptance by everybody. Developing spiritually is useful for everything. There is no situation that can’t be made better by applying God’s principles to it. There is no person who could not benefit from doing things God’s way.

As believers we have been given the ability to live godly lives. Remember what we saw a couple of weeks ago in 2 Peter 1:3 3For His divine power has bestowed upon us all things that [are requisite and suited] to life and godliness, through the [full, personal] knowledge of Him Who called us by and to His own glory and excellence (virtue). When we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior He gives us everything we need to practice godliness in our lives. We just have to make the commitment to do what He says in His Word. I think of what David said in Psalm 119:104-106 104Through Your precepts I get understanding; therefore I hate every false way.105Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path  106I have sworn [an oath] and have confirmed it, that I will keep Your righteous ordinances [hearing, receiving, loving, and obeying them]. The Word of God is a light unto our path. It illuminates the way we should go, how we should act, what we should say, and how we can live a victorious and blessed life.  Our part is to hear, the Word, receive the Word, then not only obey, but love the Word which we have been given. Make a choice today that you will become a doer of God’s Word. That you will let it show you how to think, speak and act, and you will see yourself become more and more like Him.