Let Your Light Shine Before Men...

I've heard people say that one man can't change the world, but I'm afraid that I'm going to have to contend very strongly with the notion.

Matthew 5:14-16 says:

14You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden.

15Neither 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.

16In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.

These words make me feel so strong. They empower me.

Jesus tells us plainly that we are the light of the whole world. The light that I've received from knowing Jesus is enough to brighten the whole world. We all have this light. God has given us all gifts that will cause us to shine for His glory in one way or another. He gives these gifts freely, but its our responsibility to go out into a darkened and broken world and shine so brightly that darkness has no choice but to flee.

Verse 15 implies that its outrageous to hide a light. That light is supposed be positioned in a high place so that it can give "light to everyone in the house." For us, this house could very well be our homes. It could be our churches, our schools, our jobs, our communities, our world. The possibilities in God are boundless. But we must first let our light shine. We can't be ashamed of this gospel. We have to keep our eyes set on things that are eternal. Everyday we have to choose God again and again and again until we see Him face to face.

My favorite part is verse 16. This light that we have isn't for us. It's not okay to keep it to ourselves. We have to go out into our worlds and shine so that people will look at us and say, "What on earth do they have that I don't?" And when they ask us, we move out of the way, we point toward our Savior and we say, "I have Jesus."

Yes, we are only human. Each one of us is so different from the other. We are all individuals. But with God, we are always in the majority. One man, with God, can change the world.