Be A Light In Darkness

Mat 5:14 You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.

Mat 5:15 Nor do men light a lamp and put it under the grain-measure, but on a lampstand. And it gives light to all who are in the house.

Mat 5:16 Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in Heaven.

It’s very easy when we live in such a dark world to sometimes forget that we are the light. We forget that as God’s people we have been set aside. We have a great gift in that by accepting Jesus the living Christ as our saviour we no longer walk in darkness but we walk as light. It’s by our light, that others see, in us, the glory of God.

Jesus calls us the lights of the world, he tells us to shine. How else is the world to realise the love that God has for them if it is not through us. We are the fruits of Jesus’s sacrifice. How are those in darkness going to discover the joy, happiness and peace that can be found in Jesus if they do not see it in us.

By becoming lights in a dark world we become noticeable, conspicuous. Our love for others in a world full of hate, our peace in a hectic and confused world, our selflessness in a world stricken with selfish ambition. Our joy and happiness in a world full of hurt and aggression. These things shine out as a light. And like the city set on a hill, it can not be hidden. Because light shines out in darkness, others look to us, some with admiration, commendation and joy, they start to seek what we have, they start to crave the light that has been given to us. They want to imitate what we have in our lives and they too come to salvation. Others will look on us, some with hate and loathing, some will envy us and some will watch us in order to bring us down.

It’s our light that ensures that Jesus remains alive today. We are His body, his love, His people. If we do not shine, if people see in us the same darkness that they see in others, then we are failing in our responsibilities as Christians. We are also failing to grow, to become more like the Light of God. We, as Christians, need to strive to change, to always have our eye on how Jesus would want us to live. We will on occasions fail, but Jesus will always be there to pick us up and relight the light in us. But we must always be striving, willing to change to become more like the person we are destined to be.

Can we go to 1 John...

1Jo 1:5 And this is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all.

1Jo 1:6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.

1Jo 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.

It’s easy to be light in church on a Sunday, there’s no darkness to quench our flame. But God does not look to those who can be light amongst lights. God looks to those who become lights in darkness. He looks for those who can take the light in the world that has lost it’s way, He looks for those who can become beacons for his lost sheep. God is looking for those who will step out and make a difference to those without hope, without revelation, He is looking for those who can reflect His grace, mercy and love in their own lives to others.

Too often as Christians we bring the darkness into light, we bring the world into the church. We bring into church, pride, selfishness, jealousy, when we should be bringing in love, tolerance and joy. We should take light out into darkness, we need to take the church out into the world.

When we come to people with troubles, when we come to people with needs, when we come to people who are looking for answers, the answer should not be come to church. The answer should be the church is here, it stands before you. It is you, followers of Christ that are the church. It is not the building that we meet in. When someone comes to you with a problem, they are coming to the church; they are being attracted to the light that you are. Stop hiding your blessings, stop clinging on to them. You have been blessed by the one living God, now start to bless others so that the light may shine.