Bible Devotions for Living

Are you outspoken about your faith and living a holy life so God can be glorified?

²¹ He also said to them, “Is a lamp brought in to be put under a basket or under a bed? Isn’t it to be put on a lampstand?” (Mk 4:21)

¹⁴ “You are the light of the world. A city situated on a hill cannot be hidden. ¹⁵ No one lights a lamp and puts it under a basket, but rather on a lampstand, and it gives light for all who are in the house. ¹⁶ In the same way, let your light shine before men, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven. (Mt 5:14-16)

The Lord wants you to put on display the work He’s done in you to everybody. He doesn’t want you to hide it. How are you doing letting God’s light shine through you?

The Audience

Who are you supposed to allow to see your light? Everybody! That doesn’t just mean the non-believers but also believers. Notice in the passage from Matthew that Jesus mentioned His people being a city on a hill. Well, a city on a hill is seen by everybody from a far distance. To me, this is a reference to letting your light shine to everybody, including non-believers. But then Jesus mentions not hiding your light under a basket but letting it give light to all who are in the ‘house’. Could that mean to believers? I think so.

You need to let your light shine to non-believers in the world (city on a hill) and believers in the church (house). Lots of believers go to church but how many really serve God there or speak openly about what God has done? It’s often said in church that 80% of the work in church is done by 20% of the people. Let your light shine in church even more. Never underestimate letting your light shine to believers because it is an encouragement to them and will bring them to give God glory and thanks for what He’s done.

How to Let Your Light Shine

You let your light shine in two main ways – through how you live and by speaking about God and your faith in Him. You need to be doing both to truly let your light shine.

• Live out your faith: You let your light shine by being holy. Living according to the Bible which is completely different than how the world lives. It means being sin-free, serving others sacrificially, focusing on spiritual things, and loving deeply (Ephesians 5:1-3 gives a great outline of how to walk in love and avoid impurity, coarse joking, and greed). You should be living, speaking, and thinking differently than the crowd. If you do, people will notice because you are so different.
• Speak out your faith: You need to talk about your faith openly. Proclaim Christ and share what God has done in your life regularly.

If you only do one of these, you’re really not letting your light shine because it is the combination that has the most impact. Consider this, if you’re living a holy life but no one knows you’re a Christian, they have no idea where that “light” is coming from. They won’t give God the glory for the changes in you. On the other hand, if you say you’re a believer in Jesus Christ but live just like everyone else, you’re not letting any of Christ’s light shine. Your actions contradict your words, and God won’t get the glory.

You need to live out your faith and share your faith to truly let the light of Christ in you shine!

Make a conscious effort to live a Godly life always and talk about Christ, the Father, and your faith as often as you can telling others about them and what they’ve done for you.

Think about it

Are you letting your light shine by living a holy Christian life? Do you think, act, and speak in a Godly way that is different than the world around you or the same?

Do you tell people about your faith in God the Father and Jesus Christ and what they’ve done for you?

Do the people even know you’re a believer in Jesus Christ (family, neighbors, coworkers)?

Are you ashamed of proclaiming Christ or your faith? Are you afraid of what people will think or say? If so, what is more important to you, pleasing God, others, or yourself? 1 Peter 2:9 says we are a chosen people called to “proclaim the praises of the One who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.”

What needs to change in your life to let your light shine?

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His possession, so that you may proclaim the praises of the One who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. (1 Pet 2:9)

⁵ For we are not proclaiming ourselves but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your slaves because of Jesus. ⁶ For God who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of God’s glory in the face of Jesus Christ. (2 Cor 4:5-6)

Therefore, be imitators of God, as dearly loved children. ² And walk in love, as the Messiah also loved us and gave Himself for us, a sacrificial and fragrant offering to God. ³ But sexual immorality and any impurity or greed should not even be heard of among you, as is proper for saints. ⁴ Coarse and foolish talking or crude joking are not suitable, but rather giving thanks. ⁵ For know and recognize this: Every sexually immoral or impure or greedy person, who is an idolater, does not have an inheritance in the kingdom of the Messiah and of God. ⁶ Let no one deceive you with empty arguments, for God’s wrath is coming on the disobedient because of these things. ⁷ Therefore, do not become their partners. ⁸ For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light — ⁹ for the fruit of the light results in all goodness, righteousness, and truth— ¹⁰ discerning what is pleasing to the Lord. ¹¹ Don’t participate in the fruitless works of darkness, but instead expose them. ¹² For it is shameful even to mention what is done by them in secret. ¹³ Everything exposed by the light is made clear, ¹⁴ for what makes everything clear is light. (Eph 5:1-13)