Devotionals

We Are the Light of the World

by Susan Barnes 
12/20/17
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“His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them. . . ‘You are the light of the world. . . let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven’” Matthew 5:1-2,14-16

Throughout the Bible, God tells us how he sees us. We are "God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved" (Colossians 3:12). We are “children of God” (1 John 3:2) and here we are “the light of the world.”

While we are comfortable with Jesus saying, "I am the light of the world" perhaps we aren’t so pleased about him saying that we are the light of the world—his representatives in the world. We don't become the light of the world through extra effort, with more prayer or further Bible study, as helpful as these things are. We are already light if Jesus lives in us. He shines through our lives and people detect it. They notice our good deeds, not our hard work. These good deeds are motivated by his love and enabled by his grace. They aren’t driven by our needs for approval, acceptance or appreciation. We have the privilege of serving God, yet not the responsibility of convincing others.

We may not feel up to being light of the world. However, the more we allow Jesus to reign in our lives, the more we let his light shine, and this light will radiate from us, attracting others. As we grow in Christ we learn we are indeed light, not because we have worked hard, but because we have allowed him to shine.