by Brandy Webb

Jesus tells us that He is “the light of the world” and when we choose to walk with Him “we shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life” (John 8:12). We are to be light bearers, so we need to ignite the light inside of us.

When I think of myself as having a light inside me, I always picture a lighthouse up on a hill surrounded by jagged cliff edges and rocks. Lighthouses were a beacon for sailors before GPS and radar, but the building itself did not have the ability to shine. An innkeeper had to light it from within by turning the light on by whatever means it operated.

Our Messiah is our “inn keeper.” He has given us fuel, the Holy Spirit, to turn us on from within so we can be lights in this world of darkness. Yet, it is up to us to let it shine outward in hopes to steer people away from the jagged cliffs of sin and towards the safe shore, which is God and Jesus.

So, how do we let our light shine? It shines by living a life of “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, [and] self-control” (Galatians 5:22). These are “lights” of the Holy Spirit. If we “live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit,” and since we already know, from John, that we do not walk in darkness, then the Spirit is what helps us to walk in light.

It does not require a lot to shine our light. It shines when we are nice to the cashier after we have waited a long time in line. It shines when we call someone up on the phone just to see how he or she is doing. It shines when we help someone with a mundane chore. It shines when we forgive. It shines when we love.

In other words, our light shines when we esteem others better than ourselves (Philippians 2:3). Living and walking in the Spirit of God will illuminate the love that we have within us. We are to share this light with others by our words, by our actions, by our conduct, by our examples.

So, be the “light of the world,” a “city set on a hill” that is not hidden (Matthew 5:14). Let your light shine “before men [and women], that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16).