Matthew 5:14-15(NLT)
“You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house.”
Have you ever wondered why certain people seem to be drawn to one another? Often, it has nothing to do with what’s on the outside and has everything to do with what is on the inside. There are times when you might catch someone looking at you for no apparent reason. It can almost be offensive, but sometimes it’s because there’s something about you that they can’t quite define. They don’t know why it is that you, out of all the other people, seem different, and this causes them to stare or look at you. They want to figure it out.
Ephesians 5:8(ESV) says, “For at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light.” This verse tells us that at one time, we were in the darkness because we had not given our lives to God through Jesus Christ, but when we accepted the love of Christ into our hearts, this has all changed for us. Now, we are God’s children! 1John 3:2(NLT) says, “Dear friends, we are already God’s children, but he has not yet shown us what we will be like when Christ appears. But we do know that we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is.” What an awesome truth to carry in our hearts from day to day! We are already blessed beyond measure through salvation, but there’s even more to come. One day, we will see our Blessed Lord face to face, and we will receive a new body like the one he has. It’s a body that cannot die. We don’t quite know all the details right now, but we can look forward to that wondrous day when we are gathered together in the clouds to be with him.
In Matthew 5:14, Jesus calls us the light of the world because this is who God has made us through the sacrifice and resurrection of Christ. As we well know, wherever light shines, it will dispel darkness. This is one of the reasons that those who live in darkness and want to remain there do not want us around. We expose the things they want to keep hidden.
The spiritual realm is infinitely far superior to this natural realm, and indeed it is more real than this natural realm. We might find this challenging to believe because we live in this three-dimensional world, with lots of amazing things to physically see, touch, smell, hear, and taste. The earth is truly an extraordinary planet, and God has blessed us to be able to do some wonderful things within it, but it pales miserably in comparison to our Heavenly Father’s Heavenly Kingdom. 2Corinthians 4:18(NKJV) tells us, “while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.” The things of this earth are temporary, and will all pass away one day, but the things of heaven are eternal and will last forever.
Because of what God has accomplished for us through His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, we are filled with His Holy Spirit and set us apart as His children. He has made us a part of His royal family and Ephesians 2:6(NLT) says, “For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus.” Everything that God wanted human beings to be is contained in His beloved Son. Jesus Christ is that light. He’s our blueprint, and God commands us to walk in his example and imitate his nature. This is our identity, and we must be confident in it.
There are many people walking around with no clue about who they are. They either don’t know God’s purpose for their lives, or they are running from it, and therefore, they are living beneath their privilege. We need to know that we don’t have to live that way, and we shouldn’t. Christ is our identity. This is something to delight in and carry with us from day to day. His light should be revealed in everything we do; the way we talk, walk, act, and behave. Our attitude should be one of continual gratitude for all that God has done for, in, and through us because of the accomplishment of Christ. Many don’t understand this, but as His children of light, we ought to own it in the depths of our souls and walk with a Christ-kind of confidence each day.
Darkness loves to hide and stay in shame. It never wants to be exposed. Our light draws attention, so when a child of light walks into a room, the light of Christ illuminates those dark spaces, and we need to know that not everybody will be happy about that. Jesus Christ said in John 15:18-19 (NLT) “If the world hates you, remember that it hated me first. The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you.” We need to be prepared for this and to walk lovingly in Christ despite any darkness the world attempts to throw our way. We are overcomers in Christ. Romans 8:37(NLT) says, “No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.”
We all need to pray for a fresh revelation of who we are in Christ and do so whenever we’re feeling defeated or lost. We have a responsibility to Christ to preserve and share the light that we carry. Many of us have allowed other people to dim our light, but the way to avoid this is to walk in harmony and fellowship with God. We must involve Him in every aspect of our lives and remember that we have His light. When we let it shine, the end result is always a blessing to His Kingdom and a blessing to us. ■
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
“Your Light Draws Attention”, written by KLizzie, edited by Reverend Fran Mack, for Sundie Morning Sistas ©2023. All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord! SMS is dedicated to inspiring and encouraging Christian Women through the Word of God.