“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.
Matthew 5: 14-16
Over the weekend while listening to a sermon from Alistair Begg, the following comment stood out as I considered this final writing on influence. Begg said, “Maybe you’ve been led to believe that your best days are behind you; you’re a sputtering candle, a faint and dying flame.”
There may be times when you or I feel powerless, but we are not. No matter our age or position in life or even if we have failed before, we still have the ability to influence the people in our universe through the power of example.
Consider these words from theologian John Stott:
“The whole community can see the husband and wife loving and honoring one another, devoted and faithful to one another, and finding fulfillment in one another. They see the children growing up in the security of a loving and disciplined home. They see a family not turned in on itself, but turned outward—entertaining strangers, welcoming, keeping an open home, seeking to get involved in the concerns of the community. One Christian nurse in a hospital; one Christian teacher in a school; one Christian in a shop, in a factory, or in an office—we will all make a difference, for good or for ill.”
John stott
I know families who live out their faith and represent Christ well. There are nurses, and teachers, and people who fill all kinds of roles with an opportunity to shine their light for Christ.
As Matthew recorded in Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, we are to let our light shine all around us, so that others will see the effect of the life of one who follows Christ. Remember to shine the light around you today.
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