Shine!

Shine!

Matthew 5:16 KJV

[16] Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

The words above were spoken by Jesus at the first Sermon on the Mount, where Jesus sat with his disciples, and there was a crowd at the foot of the mountain. Throughout the life of Jesus, this was a constant phenomenon. Everywhere Jesus went, people followed him. Whether it was out of curiosity, or a desire for a miracle, or a sincere search for meaning, he always had a crowd of people following Him everywhere He went. For all of us today, there is a need to define who we are, what we are and where we are headed. That clarity of identity will define my pursuits and priorities. At all times, there will be disciples, and there will be the crowd. There really can be no middle ground, where a man is neither a follower of Jesus or a follower of the world's system. You will always have to choose between both extremes. Which one are you: a disciple or part of the crowd? 

Jesus was speaking to disciples here, and making reference to the Light. The light has been personified for us, which means that it is first an individual walk, before it becomes a public testimony. It is YOUR light, taken from your personal interaction with the Light, that men will see. If I do not know the Light, how can I have or share Him? If He is not in me, how can my life reflect Him? If He does not know me as His own, how can I represent Him the right way? This is a relationship that is first and foremost personal and intimate; you really cannot touch light as a tangible object, yet when it is not there, you will definitely feel its absence. Its availability is taken for granted most times, until it is no longer there. The value of light is seen in its public impact, and this is why the light has to shine before men. How would the world know the value of Jesus if my life does not show Him off? 

How would people in the world know that living right and holy is possible, if I am not the living and breathing proof that it is? All sorts of people will come my way, and life will also place a demand on me to provide proof of my identity, focus, connections and commitment. If I do not have the right content, what value can I give to the world around me? God is seeking to show Himself strong in the lives of all men and women who are fully submitted to Him. He does not force Himself on anyone, or go against the exercise of my freewill. I have to let the light in me shine out before men, by my words, actions, relationships and attitude. I have to smell right, so that men can be attracted to the fragrance of God's Presence in me. Men will glorify God when they see His representative. Men will glorify God when they are touched by the influence of His power through my own life. That is the call of God upon all who claim to know Him. Do you know Him? God's time of favour is here.