Let Your Light Shine

As a believer, your light isn’t little, so let your light shine! You have the Spirit of God dwelling inside of you, and wherever you go, the light of God in you chases away the darkness. So, don’t hide your light under a basket. Get up on the lampstand, and let your light shine!

“You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” – Matthew 5:14-16

John 1:5 says, “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it” (NLT).

When you enter a dark room, you reach for the light switch. As the lights turn on, the darkness flees. When the sun rises, the night leaves. Every single time, darkness runs when light is introduced!  There is never a time when darkness can overpower the presence of light.

Let Your Light Shine

Contrary to a popular children’s church song, your light is not little. The light that you carry is the very presence and power of the Spirit of Jesus Christ who lives inside of you. It is bright enough to shine such a light on the world that darkness runs in terror!

Do you believe that when you enter a room, darkness has to flee? Just like every other promise of God, this promise is activated by your faith. Consider Romans 8:11. It says, “But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.”

Are you born again? If you can answer, “Yes,” to that question, then the Spirit of Jesus (who was powerful enough to raise Jesus from the dead after 3 days) lives in you. That is a really bright light—bright enough to chase the darkness of death away!

Your Works Glorify God

One way to let your light shine is to glorify God by your works. Wait a minute! We are grace teachers! What’s this about works?

Let’s see how Jesus defined works:

“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.” – John 14:12

Obviously, Jesus wasn’t referring to perfect behavior or performance. He was referring to the miraculous works that He performed while He was on the earth: Healing the sick, cleansing the leper, raising the dead, etc. In fact, these miraculous works are exactly what He gave us the power to do. He had to leave Earth, and He sent the Holy Spirit to dwell in us. In this way, rather than being constrained to one human body (Jesus Himself), His Spirit could be present inside of every believer, and He could multiply His works, exponentially!

Jesus said in Matthew 10:8, “Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.” Then in Acts 1:8, before He went to the Father, He said, “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” 

Jesus gave us direction as His followers: “Take the power of the Holy Spirit that is inside of you, and go shine My light everywhere you go. Do these works that you have seen Me do. Take the light to the world, and chase out the darkness with it!”

Shining Light in the Darkness

This letting your light shine isn’t necessarily walking into a hospital, praying for the sick, and emptying the place out. (Although, praise God, that’s certainly possible!) Shining your light is done every single day, everywhere you go, just by carrying the light of God with you. The light in you is bright enough to chase away the darkness of sickness and disease. It is bright enough to cause strife to flee in terror. The light in you is released by your faith in it. It can’t be seen. You have to believe what the Word of God tells you about the light that dwells in you.

When you walk into your workplace, do you believe that the light in you is stronger than the darkness in your coworkers? It is! When you go into a public place, do you believe that the light inside of you is more powerful than the darkness of any germ? It is! When you walk into your home, do you believe that the light of peace in you is stronger than the darkness of strife and discord? It is!

God told Joshua, “Every place the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given you, as I said to Moses” (Joshua 1:3). This promise holds true for us today! Wherever you go, God has given you authority over any darkness. Your workplace is under your spiritual authority, whether you are the boss or not. You can change the spiritual atmosphere simply by walking in! Your home is blessed, simply because it is yours. Your car is blessed, your family is blessed, and even your pets are blessed!

He Leads You in Triumph

2 Corinthians 2:14 says, “Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place.” The fragrance of His knowledge is just another way of saying that through you, His light shines everywhere you go. Where you go, He is leading you in triumph! You are shining His light: you are sharing His love, power and grace when you walk into the room. As the world witnesses the powerful promises of God manifesting in your life, He receives all the glory! In addition, they see the difference in your life and will be drawn to Him also.

Cling to this promise: The power of God is present in you, and the brightness of His glory chases away darkness simply by your presence in the house!