— MATTHEW 5:14-16 —
14 “You are the light of the world. A town
built on a hill cannot be hidden.
15 Neither do people light a lamp and
put it under a bowl.
Instead they put it on its stand, and it
gives light to everyone in the house.
16 In the same way, let your light shine
before others,
that they may see your good deeds
and glorify your Father in heaven.
Reflection
We all face the temptation to hide.
It feels safer to keep our head down and blend into our surroundings. But what happens to our witness in the world when we hide the light of our faith? The surrounding darkness only gets darker.
Doing good, sharing the Gospel, and serving others sets Christians apart in a way that can both attract and repel—repelling those who want to live in darkness (John 3:19), yet attracting those drawn to the light of God in us.
The apostle Peter instructs believers to “live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us” (1 Pet. 2:12).
God is glorified when our words and deeds are a witness to his truth.
Prayer
Dear God, forgive us for wanting to hide the light we have rather than share it. Strengthen us to relinquish fear and to stand out in a godly way by doing good. Just like an elevated town or city is an unmistakable refuge to those around it, may we draw others into your goodness, that you would get the glory. Amen.