“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16).
Who is the light of the world? In the Bible, Jesus says, “I am the light of the world” (John 8:12). But Jesus also tells His disciples, “Ye are the light of the world” (Matthew 5:14).
How can both Jesus and His followers be the light of the world?
Think of a mirror. Have you ever held up a mirror and seen sunlight reflect off of it? It looks as if a beam of light is coming from the mirror. But the light didn’t really come from the mirror. It came from the sun. The mirror just reflected it. The sun was the source of the light.
It’s similar with Christians. Jesus is the source of their light. As Christians become more like Jesus Christ, they shine their light by reflecting (“showing”) what Jesus is like. It is not a Christian’s goodness that shines, but Jesus’ goodness.
When others see the good things Christians do, such as being kind, loving, or patient, they should think of Jesus and praise God the Father. God should always get the glory for the good things we do.
The goodness of Jesus should shine through Christians.
My response:
» Do I shine my light by showing others what Jesus is like?
» Do I give God glory for the good things I do?