In Matthew 5, Jesus calls us to be salt and light in the world. He was basically telling us to stand out, and live counter-culturally. To live His way in a world of people who live their own way. This can be really challenging. We can find ourselves wanting to fit in with others and to be accepted by them, because standing out can be uncomfortable. But Jesus says: ‘Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.’ When people find out that we’re Christians, they watch us. We have the privileged role of showing God to them through the way we live our lives. So what are people seeing when they watch us? Are they seeing God? It’s vital to remember that we’re not trying to stand out to make ourselves look good, but to make God look good. It’s all about glorifying Him. Is God glorified through our words and actions? In Philippians it says: ‘Do everything without grumbling or arguing…Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky’ (2:14-16 NIV). The world can be a really dark place – there’s suffering, evil, selfishness, greed – but if we’re set apart in how we think, speak, and behave, then we’ll shine God’s light into that darkness. Sometimes we can be struggling to deal with our life, but that doesn’t disqualify us from shining God’s light. The Bible says: ‘For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light’ (Ephesians 5:8 NIV). When we trust Jesus, we’re ‘children of light’ – it doesn’t mean we won’t experience darkness, but it does mean that we can still shine in that darkness. So let’s be ‘children of light’ today.

What Now?

Sit in a dark room for a while. Then switch on a light and ask God to help you bring His light to the darkness.