Four Reasons Why We Should Shine the Light of Christ

By Jessica Brodie

A few months ago, I shared how one night, driving on a dark road, a bright neon sign advertising a gas station brought tremendous relief. That’s because I’d been on my way home at night, with two little kids asleep in the back, and realized I’d forgotten to get gas before I left. Then my car’s gas light came on.

In the middle of nowhere, and only one bar of service on my cell phone, panic crept up inside me. Would I be able to find fuel before my car ran out and I was stuck, alone with my two kids, on the side of the road?

But those gas station lights—promising fuel! Snacks! Clean restrooms!—felt like a warm blanket on a cold night. I knew I’d be okay. Those lights offered hope just ahead, something I desperately needed.

We who call ourselves Christians are called to be that light in a darkened world. Jesus tells us in Matthew 5:14-16, “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven” (NIV).

Light points to God. It’s a comfort in the darkness. By living our faith boldly, by proclaiming our savior faithfully, we share the Good News in a world so desperately in need.

But why is it good to be the light of the world? Why should we shine God’s light … other than, of course, because God tells us to do so?

Here, I offer four reasons why it’s important to shine the light of Christ in the world:

1) Light reveals truth.

Just like that gas station light I encountered on the dark road, being God’s lampstand provides answers. Light exposes what is hidden. It helps people see the reality of their surroundings. It helps bring healing and freedom. Many of us walk through life blindly, unable to see how we go astray. We’re blind to our flaws, the ways we veer off God’s path. Light illuminates, provides a shining spotlight where it is so needed.

2) Light offers direction.

Yes, my car headlights lit the yellow lines on the road, so I knew I wasn’t driving off into the woods somewhere or someone’s cow pasture. But where was I? What direction was I going? If my GPS failed me, if my car ran out of gas and my battery died, where was I in the world? That gas station light told me where I was going. Similarly, being God’s lampstand tells people, “Here! Come this way!” That light can guide people toward the truth. It can also guide people when they’re lost and maybe floundering in the darkness of sin and confusion.

3) Light provides comfort.

Like a warm fire on a frigid night, the gas station light on the road promised relief. It told me what I would be getting: a full gas tank. Hopefully a clean restroom. Snacks and maybe a hot cup of coffee. I would be safe. I would be taken care of. Similarly, being God’s lampstand does the same thing. It brings warmth and clarity. It ultimately leads to salvation and eternal life when the world around us can be a scary, dangerous place.

4) Light is an advertisement.

That light I saw on that dark road told me what and who I was getting—Exxon. But as God’s lamp, we’re advertising something bigger and better than some gas station. And back in the days Jesus spoke these words, in a time before electricity existed, he knew his disciples were offering something bigger and better than warmth or the ability to see what they were doing at night. By shining God’s light, we’re pointing to God himself. We’re pointing to our Creator, the one who made all things and who holds existence in the very palm of his hand. Not only is it good for us to acknowledge that truth, to foster a deeper connection with our Lord, but it helps others. It inspires joyful witness. It inspires community. Like a moth to a flame, people are drawn to that goodness of God. They want what we have! People are hurting. They are broken. And they need the wholeness we have. We all need that wholeness!

Here's the thing about that gas station light on that dark Carolina back road.

That light wasn't shining for itself. It was there because somebody needed fuel. Somebody needed direction. Somebody needed to know they were going to be okay.

That's exactly what Jesus is calling us to.

The only question is whether we're letting it shine or hiding it under a bowl.

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