“Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”
On a night when there is a full moon, if you go outside and look up it seems that the moon is very bright indeed. It lights up the evening sky. Yet of course the moon is not actually shining at all—it is merely reflecting the light of the sun. If there was no sun shining on it, the moon would be invisible. It has no light of its own to beam down on the world below.
When Jesus said that we are to be lights in the world, He was not talking about us producing light, but rather reflecting His light to those around us. The only way we can do this is to live in close communion and fellowship with Him day by day. When the moon passes between the Earth and the sun during a solar eclipse, the sun’s light is obscured. The same thing happens in our lives when something comes between God and us.
There are many negatives associated with sin, but one of the worst is that it breaks the fellowship we have with God. While it does not change our relationship in His family, it does create a disruption. And that disruption is communication to those outside. The evangelist D. L. Moody said, “A holy life will make the deepest impression. Lighthouses blow no horns, they just shine.” When we walk in God’s light and behave wisely and obey his commandments, it shows God’s glory to the world. — Daily in the Word
