Be The Light

You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. “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. - Matthew 5:13-16 (NIV)

Did you know that Jesus calls us what He calls Himself? In the Gospel of John, He says, "I am the Light of the world," and in Matthew, He says "You are the light of the world."

In that scripture, Jesus was saying that we are to live for God and always strive to produce good deeds in order to give glory to Him. See, as children of God, we have a responsibility toward the lost. We are needed and we are called to shine His light in a world that so desperately needs it.

It's not enough to sit back and watch culture take over, we need to take responsibility for the world we live in. Our brothers and sisters need us. The generations that came before us and the generations that will come after us, need us. They all need us to accept the call and shine a light in the darkness. They need us to make a difference while we still can.

So how do we do this? How do we become the light that God has called us to be? Well, Jesus tells us exactly how in Matthew 5:13-16. First, we have to let our light shine in a way that glorifies our Father, then we have to make it known. We can't hide our light, we need to ensure that others see it because a light that is hidden helps no one.

Shine Bright For The Father

In the beginning, the earth was dark and gloomy. But then God created light and beautiful things started to happen.

He created us for this purpose too, we too can make beautiful things happen. We can do good deeds that glorify our Father in heaven. We can shine the light of His glory in a world that has become accustomed to the darkness. We can show love where others show hate. We can show kindness where others show contempt. We can show grace where others show condemnation. We can show hope where others sow doubt.

We can be the hands, the feet, and the heart of the Father we so deeply know if we would only decide to shine bright for Him.

Now, it's easy to think we can help people behind the scenes. We think praying for them will be enough but it's not. It helps but it's not enough, God hears your words and He will answer your prayers, but people see your actions. Your prayers may help the person, but your actions will help the person while glorifying God. When you purposely shine the light of God, others are drawn to Him and that's why shining bright is worth it.

Make It Known

One of the most significant points Jesus made about light in this scripture is that we are not to hide it. Whether on a hilltop or in a house, your light should shine before everyone. It should shine before everyone because you never really know who needs it.

The world has become such a dark and scary place. Suicide rates have gone through the roof because people can't see a way out. All these people need is one shining light, one glimmer of hope that comes in and lights the way. If just one of us would come out of hiding and illuminate the path, they would surely find their way out because the truth is that no matter how thick the darkness is, it can be overcome by just one source of light.

So be that light, in your school, in your home, in your neighborhood, and in every other place you go. Know that you are a child of God who has been born to give up light. You are a message of hope even when you don't say a thing.

You are exactly what the world needs. You are exactly what your world needs to see the glory of God. So choose to shine today. Choose to shine even when people hate you for it. Because those who are used to darkness may hate the light at first, but they’re still attracted to it.

The world didn't know it needed the light of Jesus but it did, in the same way, the world doesn't know it needs your light but it does.

So shine bright today, child of God, you were born for such a time as this.

P.S - If you're looking for trendy Christian jewelry that makes a statement, be sure to check out our shop. Also, check out this piece dedicated to being the light.  (Be the light cross with Paracord coming soon!)

Bradley Kellie creates Christian Jewelry to help you share your story, and tell HIS.