5/21 Strength for Today

Ye Are the Light

Matthew 5:14
“Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.”

When Jesus described what the Christian is to the world, He chose salt and light as the objects to describe us. We are supposed to be the salt of the Earth as purifiers to a sinful world, but more importantly we are the light of the world to lighten the pathway for the lost world to Christ.

You will notice that God wanted us to let our light shine so bright that it would be like a city that is situated on top of a hill; it cannot be hid. God wants your light to brightly shine to a dark and sinful world. That light that is to shine is your life. I find that there are four different categories of light that a Christian will fall into.

The first category is a burnt out light. Have you ever walked into the room and flipped the light switch on only to have a burnt out light? It always seems that the light burns out at the most inconvenient time. A Christian who has quit serving God is like a burnt out light. No matter what your excuse may be, it is not good enough to let your light be burnt out. Have you quit on God because of hardships? Have you quit on God because the lures of the world seem more appealing than serving God? Remember, you are commanded to let you light shine.

The second category is a blocked light. Many times obstacles get in the way of the light brightly shining. Have you allowed anything to block your light from shining? For instance, does your attitude block your light from shining the way it is supposed to shine? Does your lifestyle block your light from shining the way that it is supposed to shine? Anything that blocks your light from shining should be removed or changed so that your life can properly shine for Christ.

The third category is a dim light. This is caused by sin in your life. Christian, sin will cause your light not to shine as bright as it should. Though you may think it doesn't affect you, it does! Whatever sin you have in your life, be sure to remove it so that your light can brightly shine.

The last category is the category every Christian should desire and that is a bright light. This is the Christian who serves God with fervor and tries to live a right life. This is the Christian who will not allow the world and hardships to stop them from serving God. This is the Christian who will turn many to righteousness.

In which category do you see yourself? Better yet, in which category does God see you? How well can the world see the light of Jesus through your life? Whatever hindrances you have that keep the light of your life from brightly shining, remove them so you can be that light that this world needs.