Light of the World
How is your light shining?
Verse of the Day
“You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.”
Today’s Devotional
Jesus is telling us what we are. He did not say, “You must become a bright light in a dark world.” He did not say, “You should work hard to shine your light in this world.” Jesus says, “You are the light of the world.” But…just because we are a light, that does not mean that we are always illuminating the right things.
A brightly lit city on a hilltop would be hard to miss. A lamp on a stand would give light to an entire room. Is my faith, which is lived out through the actions of my life, easy for others to see?
Jesus is teaching us that our faith is not to be lived out in isolation. It should be visible and noticeable to others. We display this light with our “good deeds”, which God then gets the credit for.
This makes me think of a stage and a spotlight. If you have ever been to a theatrical performance of any kind, there was likely at least one spotlight in use. Did you stare at the spotlight itself? Or was your attention focused on where the light was shining?
Jesus uses two examples for how our “light” should shine. The first is the city on a hilltop. In a city, there are lots of lights concentrated in one area. Those lights themselves are not what draws our attention, it is what they collectively illuminate. Am I spending time with and sharing my life with other believers so that together we are drawing attention to the Kingdom of God?
The second example is a light within a home. Again, it is not the light itself that is the focus, but the fact that the entire house is illuminated by the presence of the light. Sometimes we save our worst behavior for the people we live with (or are closest to.) We can be kind and compassionate out in the world, but when we are at home we might tend to let our spiritual guard down. This can lead us to have the worst behavior toward the people we love the most. Is my behavior at home the kind that shines with the goodness of Jesus?
Jesus is teaching me that the actions of my life should shine the light on Him. Not myself. If I am longing to be the center of attention, then my focus is wrong. If I need credit for any good deeds, then I’m not a very effective light for the Kingdom. After all, God created us to do good things and he planned them out in advance! (Ephesians 2:10– ‘For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.’) I need to be in a faith community where together we shine the light of God brightly into this world. I also need to be a light in my own home, giving “ light to everyone in the house”.
Jesus says you are a light. How brightly are you shining and what are you illuminating?
Journal Prompts
Answer only the questions that seem relevant to you today.
What is a good deed someone has done for you that shined God’s light in your life? How did that make you feel?
Based on the evidence, what is the light of your life illuminating?
How could you connect with other believers today?
How can you shine God’s light within your own home today?