Shine Your Light

Meditation Monday: My Journey Through the Sermon on the Mount

{Matthew 5:14-16}
“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house.

In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”



While working at a public school, I had started a prayer group that met before school once a week to pray for our coworkers, students, community, etc. I had asked another teacher to join because I knew he was a Christian. He responded he wasn’t sure if he would and said “I never tell people I’m a Christian, that way, if I mess up, it doesn’t make God look bad.”

As I’ve been studying through the Sermon on the Mount and thinking about what it means to be salt and light, I can’t help but realize in these passages Jesus says:

You are the salt of the earth . . .
You are the light of the world . . .

As Christians, we get no choice to be salt or light, we are. The only choice we have is whether our salt will be savory or tasteless; whether we hide our lights or shine.

There’s no choice in being salt & light, there’s only duty . . . delightful duty to share who we are and whose we are.

To sprinkle and shine Christ.

We don’t need to hide our lights from others. It is this light that illuminates and helps guide them through darkness. We do however need to make sure our light isn’t dim and doesn’t flicker.

Perhaps that’s why Jesus words here tell us to shine, to go out and tell AND to make sure our deeds reflect what we say. Our lives should shine as much light as our words. We are to preach Christ to people in word and deed.

If we mingle with darkness, walk in the ways of the world, how can we help others see their way out? Our light is no brighter than theirs!

If we hide our lights, if we’re too afraid to share, how will others ever see? Imagine being in a dark room and trying to help others find their way out, holding your flashlight and never using it! What good is that? How is keeping your light hidden helping others see Christ and His way of life . . . the path that leads to fullness of JOY? (Psalm 16:11)



Don’t you see why it’s so important to “flesh out” our message to the world? Others are walking in pain, darkness, sin, destruction, and death and we have the lamp to light the path to the Way out.

Go! Shine! Live brightly that others might see . . . see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.