Shine

Read what Matthew 5:16 says, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”

Jesus taught about salt and light in the Sermon on the Mount, which is also called the Beatitudes.  I have heard that people drop out of church because they don’t see the gospel being portrayed in people’s lives, as well as other reasons.  People claim to be born-again believers but don’t live that way.  In other words they say to live one way but they live another way.  Some of the problem is that people quote things they hear or read but they are either not believers or the Word hasn’t penetrated their hearts to the point of changing their lives.  They haven’t learned to put into practice what they have heard.  You can talk to people and they might say they know what you are saying when all they have done is heard it.  For instance someone may tell you how to build a house or an airplane or many other things, yes, you hear how to do it but until you can actually do it you have only heard how it is done.  The same thing pertains to the Word of God.

Read what James 1:19-25, “So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God. Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.”

You may hear or read the Word a dozen times or more, but if you are not putting it into practice, and it isn’t changing your life, then there is a problem since that is something the gospel is meant to do.  This seems to be a big problem in many of our churches; there is a lot of talk but sometimes very little walk.  

Many times we allow the media to shape our way of thinking.  So many are swayed by what they read on facebook or what they hear on the internet.  You have to be careful what you hear and what you accept as truth.  How many times have you heard, “I don’t go to church because there are too many hypocrites in the church?”  I want to say this, there are true, blood bought, genuine believers in church but there is also the counterfeit.  What you could do is seek out the true believers that you can imitate; if you seek them out you will find them, the Word says you will know them by their fruit.  Don’t miss out on the truth because of someone else; study the Word for yourself so that you will know the truth and that truth will set you free.

The old saying goes something like this, if you find the perfect church, as soon as you walk in, it will be imperfect. True believers stand out, they may not have the same calling but they are different, their lives show forth the love of Christ and the love of people.  I am not saying they are perfect but when they fall they repent and confess and start over again.  I believe they hurt like other people do and they have their share of problems but their main focus is on the Lord.  

There were many godly people in the Bible that committed sins but they loved the Lord and repented and God used them in mighty ways.  Take Peter for instance, he denied the Lord three times and committed other grievous sins but God said he was a man after His own heart.  Remember believers aren’t perfect but they are forgiven.

But, with all that said, it is so important to let your light shine in the dark, lost and lonely world so that others will see your good works and give glory to God.  You may never know who is watching you and more importantly you represent the Lord.  Something to think about!  Have a great day and may the good Lord bless you and yours!!