Light of the World
...Matthew 5: 14-16. In the passages, Jesus teaches “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lamp stand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.“
How often do you feel like you are the “light of the world”? This earthly life can be full of nothing but pain and tragedy if you let it. Our own human weaknesses leads us down all kinds of paths that bring nothing but mental, physical, and spiritual pain.
Over and over again, we fall prey to thoughts of inadequacy, self hatred, shame, and loneliness to name just a few. I can speak knowledgeably about that having felt those emotions before, but take heart! There is a life worth living and loving meant for you…if you let it. Jesus is calling us to “let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”
So how then, do we know that our light is shining for others? How do we lose these feelings that cover up our light? That can be a complicated answer, different for each individual. The “light” Jesus is talking about isn’t our own light, but a reflection of the radiant glory of God! You may assume that a good place to start is by picking up a bible, but if you don’t have any idea of what to read or where to look for answers, that may not help as much as you’d like. Start by finding a group of people that might know exactly what you are going through… this is more commonly referred to as your local church That’s where you should take your Bible too and dive in.
Verse by verse, step by step, you can find help understanding God’s will through his own instruction manual! The local church is a building full of people that may not want to admit it, but they have gone through or are currently going through the same things you are. It’s a group that looks to serve God’s will by reaching out to others and learning God’s word. In other words, they are being the “light of the world”. That may not sound like the church you had in your mind but I promise it exists.
If you are walking down a path that leads to nowhere, or worse, leads to certain danger, wouldn’t you change course? If the paths you are walking down now only bring you pain, shouldn’t you change your patterns of behavior?
by Joe Harding (http://christianinspiration.org/you-are-the-light-of-the-world-part-1/)
God is Love 1John 4:16
