2 Corinthians 4:6
“For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness,
hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the
glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”
“Hide it under a bushel? NO! I’m gonna let it shine.” These are the words from the popular song, This Little Light of Mine.
We oftentimes sing this song without stopping to think about what we
are saying. We are to let our light shine brightly in a dark world. God
commands us to do so in the verse above. But, how do we let our light
shine brightly in a dark world? God shows us five things we must do to
accomplish this.
First, realize the importance of the ministry. Paul said in verse 1, “Therefore seeing we have this ministry…”
This ministry that we have is the only hope for many people. This
ministry we have is what keeps many souls from going to Hell. Your light
will never shine brightly in this dark world if you don't realize the
importance of the ministry. It is this ministry that allows us to give
the Gospel to a lost soul. It is this ministry that helps the hurting
soul. It is this ministry that brings comfort to the hurting. It is this
ministry that gives hope to the one sin has destroyed. Your light will
be dim until you realize the importance of serving the LORD.
Second, don't quit! He continues in the same verse by saying, “…as we have received mercy, we faint not;”
How is your light going to shine if you quit? I certainly understand
the difficulty of the ministry, but that doesn't mean you should quit.
If you are going to let your light shine brightly, you are going to have
to determine not to quit when the times get difficult. Quitting must
never be an option.
Third, live a life of transparency. In verse 2 we are commanded to renounce “…the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness…”
People need to see that Christians can be trusted. I’m afraid that
there are a few Christians who have hurt the reputation of many because
of their dishonest dealings. Christians must be completely honest. They
especially must be honest in how they live. You cannot live a double
life and let your light shine brightly. The light that shines the
brightest is the life that is lived honestly and with complete
transparency.
Fourth, tell the Gospel to everyone. Verse 3 shows that Paul did
not hide the Gospel. You don't live a transparent life to hide it, but
you live transparently to display to others the greatness of the
Christian life. Everywhere you go you should be telling others about
Jesus Christ. They should see the honesty by which you live life and
realize that the Christian life is the answer. Friend, how can your
light shine if you never tell anyone about Jesus Christ? The purpose of
living a transparent life is so that your light can be brighter when you
tell others the Gospel.
Fifth, keep Christ as your central focus. Paul said in verse 5, “For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord…”
Your light cannot shine brightly when you are focused on darkness. God
is light, and your focus must be on Him. You are to be a reflection of
Christ, and you cannot be that reflection when you are focused on man.
Keep your life pointed to Christ so that your life reflects His light.
This world is certainly dark and the only way it is going to get
better is for Christians to let their light shine brightly. How bright
does your light shine? Let me encourage you to be a light to someone in
darkness today.