Matthew 5: 14 – 16

You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.

When we become a born-again Christian, as we take our first baby steps in faith, we are eager to shout from the rooftops about our Lord, His goodness, His majesty and His faithfulness. As we continue to walk in faith, the initial fire slowly fades and we slip into a monotonous routine: attending church, doing some volunteer work, charity and some other good works. Yes, it is important that we continue to walk in faith, do all the right things but it is vital that we keep the flame alive in us.

Jesus Christ lit the fire in us when we accepted Him as our Lord and Savior. There comes a point in our lives that we should realize if the fire that is lit within us is purifying us from within while shining brightly for the Lord. His cleansing fire should burn away every dross, every thing that is of the world while the Lord is perfecting us into His Son’s likeness. While we are in this perpetual stage of refinement, we should ensure that we continue to shine before the world and not be a closet Christian. Are we a useful instrument in His hands?

Many of us have settled into a mediocre style of walking with the Lord. We are not eager to shine for Jesus as we did in our initial days. We don’t live in expectation that God is going to do something wonderful if we submit ourselves to Him. We are not curious as to what adventure the Lord is going to take us at the next bend. We shield ourselves from the world, put our head down and forge ahead thinking that we are doing good. We hesitate to become a useful instrument in His hands blaming our personalities. We feel we are not cut out for whatever ministry God calls us. We feel that we don’t have confident personalities or the drive or the calling like others. In the end, we tend to focus on our weaknesses, our personalities, and our circumstances. Focus has shifted from Him to self.

Dear Saint of God, there are ebbs and flows in every Christian’s journey. In order for us to obey the commandment of Jesus: go into the world and preach the Gospel, we must keep the fire burning within us. When the fire is burning within us, then we are able to shine brightly for the world around us. Our closet faith is neither good for us nor for others. When the world sees the light of Jesus in us, then they will be drawn to Him like a moth to a flame. We must examine at what stage we are in. Let us forget who we are, what personality we possess but remember whose we are. Let us shift our focus from ourselves to Him. Let us focus on being the light of the world because Jesus declared us so.

May the true light of Jesus Christ continue to burn brightly in us in these dark days. May this light continue to draw others to Christ. May our Lord’s name be glorified through this light.

1 Peter 2: 9But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.