So, Shine!

Here’s another way to put it: You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We’re going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don’t think I’m going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I’m putting you on a light stand. Now that I’ve put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine! (Matthew 5:14-15 MSG)

Some of us need to hear that we are here on this earth to be light - bringing out the God-colors in this world is our mission - he has chosen us to display his goodness, grace, and love, so shine! Light-bearers do more than just hold a candle - they lead others out of darkness into the light. The more we embrace our calling to bear his light within this darkened world, the more his light will shine, not just through one, but corporately!

God is not a secret to be kept. Sometimes we keep our Christianity carefully hidden, seemingly afraid of what others may think if they knew we are Christians. Nothing could be further from what God intends for each of us. We are to allow our faith to be 'out there' - observable, palpable, and evident in all we do. Hidden faith is smothered faith - it is like a candle put under a bucket - the flame dwindles until it dies out entirely. Observable faith is a little riskier because there will be some who will not understand why they feel 'convicted' when they are around you. It is because light reveals what darkness tries so hard to hide!

Shine - go ahead - shine. There is no point in hiding your faith - it isn't doing you or anyone else any good to be cloistered away beyond view. I never did understand the 'cloistered' way some faiths would attempt to create for those who were called into service for him. If we cloister ourselves behind closed doors, who will be his hands and feet? If we cloister our faith away in our workplace, who will become the living testimony of his grace that our coworkers need to find themselves?

Look who makes us bearers of this light: God himself. Now, if God made us to bear the light, don't you think he will also create the perfect place for us to bear that light? If you work at the market, hospital, on the street crew paving the road - shine! That is the place he has created for you to bear that light. We will one day give an accounting of the times we hid our faith - cloistering it away from 'public view' - but rest assured, the times we shone the brightest will the times that bring him the greatest joy and honor. Just sayin!