Don’t Hide Your Light Today, Let It Shine! - The Crosswalk Devotional - July 6

Don’t Hide Your Light Today, Let It Shine!
By May Patterson

Bible Reading:
“Don’t hide your light! Let it shine for all; let your good deeds glow for all to see, so that they will praise your heavenly Father.” Matthew 5:16 TLB

The firefly’s only purpose (that I know of) is to shine its light in the dark. But does it know how beautiful its light is?

No.

The firefly doesn’t know how shining its one little light produces a wondrous spark in the inky darkness. It can’t see how its light combines with the lights of its pals to make a summer night beautiful.

No, the firefly has no concept of any of these things. It simply shines. And when it does, it fulfills its God-given role.

Maybe we’re like that.

As Christians, we also have a light to shine. It may not seem grand, or important, or impactful—and maybe, it’s not. But when you do what God calls you to do, when you take on an opportunity He places in your path, it provides light, beauty, and even a bit of wonder to our dark world.

If we all let our lights shine, it would be quite a show.

Intersecting Faith & Life:

So, what does it mean to “shine your light?” Here are a few ideas:

1. Recognize that you don’t have to produce the light, you simply have to reflect it. So, spend some time with the Lord today. Ask Him to make His face shine upon you and to fill you with His beautiful light.
2. Then go out today and shine! Simply let the Lord’s light overflow from your heart. You can do this by reflecting God’s character in all that you do.

Shine brightly today:

By valuing your children.

By respecting your neighbor.

By helping a tired mother carry her load.

By upholding your marriage vows.

By being kind.

By expressing gratitude to God and to others.

By striving for purity in your speech and thoughts.

By sacrificing for your family without complaining.

By forgiving someone who has wronged you.

By praising the Lord throughout your day.

As you reflect God’s character, you will shine out like a star against the utter darkness of the world. Shining your light brings light, beauty and love into places that desperately need it.

The Bible says:

“. . . Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people.” Philemon 2:14 NLT

Like the firefly, you may never realize how beautiful your light is. You may never see how it impacts others. You may never grasp how it fulfills God’s purpose. But that doesn’t matter. Simply let your light shine today.

And if we all do that, it will be quite a show.

Further Reading:
Daniel 12:2-4
Philemon 2:14-16
1 John 1:5-7

Photo Credit: © Unsplash/Josh Boot 

May Patterson, author of the book, Seeking a Familiar Face, began writing over a decade ago in response to God’s grace. And by His grace, she now has a popular blog and has written many articles for various magazines, including Focus on the Family, Upper Room and iBelieve.com. She has also published a Bible study, A 40-Day Guide for Seeking God, and speaks at a variety of events, both nationally and internationally. Her desire is to encourage people to draw closer to God, like never before.

Check out fantastic resources on Faith, Family, and Fun at Crosswalk.com! 

Related Resource: Contentment: The Hardest New Year’s Resolution No One Talks About

In this New Year edition of Talk About That, John and Jonnie explore Benjamin Franklin’s advice about vices, neighbors, and becoming better people—plus what it really means to pursue contentment. They also reflect on why private failure is a gift, how attention is the real currency of relationships, and why some of life’s biggest leaps require a little youthful naivety. If you laughed out loud listening to this episode, be sure to subscribe to Talk About That on Apple and Spotify!