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A Shining Light

By Roger Shouse

"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 the 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" (Matthew 5:14-16).

Jesus wants us to shine our light for God. Jesus describes his disciples as "a city set upon a hill." A city on a hill is noticed. What you do, as His disciple, gets noticed. Everything you do gets noticed by somebody. The words you speak are heard. Your attitude is seen in your every act. Where you go is noticed. It all has influence for good or bad.

Who Notices You?

1. People Who Know You Notice. Nearly every day you see the same people at work, or at school. There is a circle of friends that you hang out with. They notice you. They see whether you pause to thank the Lord before you eat. They see how you drive your car. They see what you wear. They see what you doing during services. They see how you handle difficult situations. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Don't forget your own family. They notice. More than anyone else, they know if your faith is real or not. They know if you are serious about the Lord or not. What do the people who know you see?

2. People Who Don't Know You Notice. Nearly every day there are people we meet that we really don't know. Those that work at gas station, post offices, UPS drivers, those in doctor's offices. They see how we handle inconveniences. They see how patient we are. They see how honest we are. Our attitude is seen in how we respond to various situations. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Christians are positively distinctive from the world (1 Pet 3:15).

3. God Notices. God sees all. "The eyes of the LORD are in every place, watching the evil and the good" (Prov 15:3). God "looks upon the heart" (1 Sam 16:7). He cannot be mocked or fooled (Gal 6:7-9). Nobody can play games with God and win! A city set upon a hill cannot be hidden. You are noticed! The closer we get to Jesus, the light of the world, the brighter our light will shine! The Christian has the most important influence in the world, for he or she has the power of the gospel in their own life, which can change the lives of people around them lost in darkness. 

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