Our reading is from Matthew 5. Verse 16
“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”
Light doesn’t strain to shine. It simply shines. The sun doesn’t rehearse its rising, nor do the stars practice their twinkle. They shine because shining is what they do. Jesus reminds us that the same is true for His followers. Our light is not a performance; it is a reflection of who and what we are in Him.
I think of the older Christian lady who, though confined by arthritis and moved to various rooms. She found joy in what her window offered. First, joy seeing the passing traffic. Then in the next room, the laughter of the children nearby. Finally in the third room, the wide expanse of sky above the shantytown. Each move brought less comfort, but more gratitude. Her light wasn’t dimmed by circumstance, it was revealed through it.
That’s the secret of Matthew 5:16. To shine is not to pretend. It is to live with a heart so tuned to God that gratitude flows naturally, even in hard places. A Christian can be pressed but not crushed, relocated but not defeated. Why? Because the light within is greater than the shadows without.
So let your light shine. Not by effort, but by essence. Not by trying harder, but by trusting deeper. And when you do, others will see, not you, but Him.
I’m Lonnie Davis, and these are thoughts worth thinking.