Shine On

Shine On!

You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Matthew 5:14 AMPC

As always, all of God's commandments have a target audience. God doesn't speak because he has to just say something, but because he needs to get something done and needs someone whose heart is right to do it. Today's extract is addressed to people Jesus calls disciples; people who have made a decision to follow him. If you have, today's extract is just for you.

I am called the light of the world; first my identity and then the application and target market of my identity. Light doesn't exist in a vacuum; its power and influence is seen and appreciated in the face of darkness. Light also stands out because it shows darkness for what it really is. The world is seen as being in darkness, and those who know Christ are to make a difference, and affect it. Do I see myself as light or am I comfortable being part of the rot around me?

As light, I am placed in a strategic place where all I do and say is seen by all. I cannot hide, and I can only pretend for a while; the truth about my allegiance will always be revealed eventually. I am a city set on a hill, visible to all, open to criticism but also the place to go when there is a need for clarity and guidance. The world will mock my principles but if I stick long enough to those principles, at some point, the world will come searching for the secrets to the life I live.

Of course, for all that God places on earth, there is an end, or a better version when the present one gives way. My life was given to make impact down here before it continues with God in heaven. All that I do here is a preparation for the real deal. Am I living in preparation for what is ahead, or do I have to first sort out my identity? Do I even know who I am or who I belong to? Those are eternal questions, the answers to which will reverberate through eternity. His time of favour is here.