How do you shine your light as a weapon of righteousness? That’s what we’ll be talking about today in this final post in the Weapons of Righteousness series.
Shine Your Light as a Weapon of Righteousness
In this series based on 2 Cor. 6:7, we’ve talked about these weapons of righteousness so far:
These are all powerful ways we can fight back against the enemy’s schemes in our current culture.
Today I prayed about what virtue I could write about to wrap up this series. God led me back to one of my favorite scriptures for meditation in the past few years:
You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.
Matthew 5:14-16 NLT
This led me on a verse mapping trail about shining our light. I’d like to lead you along this trail with me today.
Jesus Is the Light
After ministering to the woman caught in adultery, Jesus makes this declaration:
“I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.”
John 8:14 NLT
Jesus came to be the light in the darkness, as prophesied by Isaiah. He came into the darkness of sin and suffering to be our Savior and Healer. As King over all creation, he will return again to be the light of the new kingdom.
We Are the Light
When I ponder the Matthew 5 passage in this context, I am amazed at the power, calling and responsibility God gives us as his followers. Though Jesus is the light, he calls US the light of the world. Will you pause with me and give him praise for making you the light, as he is the light?
He doesn’t want us to hide our light. That’s so tempting in our current culture of cancellation, silencing and shadow banning. But hiding our light literally keeps others from seeing the Father. That’s why it’s so important to shine our light – because others need to see God.
In 2 Cor. 4:6 we read,
For God, who said, “Let there be light in the darkness,” has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ.
When we are the light, we reflect God’s glory in our dark world. He will equip us to help others turn from the darkness and step into the light by the truth of his Word (Acts 26:17-18). This is a high calling, but all we need to do is reflect God’s light, rather than trying to shine on our own.
When we are the light, we reflect God's glory in our dark world. #shineyourlight #christianliving Click To Tweet
The Light of God’s Word
I recently received a Global Prayer Guide from Voice of the Martyrs, which describes the prayer needs of the persecuted church. In many areas around the world, including the middle East, Bibles and Christian broadcasts are strictly prohibited. Yet believers in those areas are finding the Gospel online in social media posts and other sites. In some areas, Bibles are rare yet dangerous treasures to possess. In areas like North Korea, believers have found it safer to memorize Scripture rather than keep copies for themselves and risk death.
Friend, do you treasure God’s Word? Do you hold it close to your heart? It’s so easy for us in the West to take God’s Word for granted. But if we treasure it, study it, meditate on it, and make it part of our day-to-day conversations, it will become part of our minds and hearts. It will be the light that shines out from us, without us even trying.
My family and I are reading through The Story version of the Bible, currently on sale through 2/15/21 for only $5.00 at CBD. It’s helping us digest the familiar Bible stories in a new way, and it’s binding us together as a family. If you need a fresh way to engage with God’s Word, I recommend this resource.
It's so easy for us in the West to take God's Word for granted. But if we treasure it, the Word will be the light that shines out from us. #bible #inspiration #encouragement Click To Tweet
How Do We Shine This Light?
We shine the light by first treasuring God’s Word, then sharing it with others. It’s too good not to share! I know that sharing the Gospel can be intimidating if you’ve never tried. You can check out this post for four simple, non-threatening ideas for sharing your faith with others.
We can also shine the light on social media. In a very popular Facebook post, I stated the reasons why I’m staying on social media – the main one being to shine the light as long as possible. You don’t know who may see your encouraging post – perhaps someone in a foreign country who cannot otherwise access the Bible. Someone who may not have even heard about God until they saw your post!
I encourage you to make more Gospel-themed social media posts, and pray that God will use them to shine his light far and wide. Consider making some of your Facebook posts public (the little world symbol) if they are shining the light about God. Think about sharing more Bible-based encouragement on all the other outlets too. You never know how a single post may lead someone to the Lord.
I encourage you to make more Gospel-themed social media posts, and pray that God will use them to shine his light far and wide. #shineyourlight #christianliving Click To Tweet
A Note About Shining the Light
We need to remember this important fact Jesus stated about shining the light:
And the judgment is based on this fact: God’s light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil. All who do evil hate the light and refuse to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed. But those who do what is right come to the light so others can see that they are doing what God wants.
John 3:19-21 NLT
Not everyone will be drawn to the light you shine. You may be excluded, mocked, rejected or ridiculed while shining your light. But it’s God’s business to judge, not yours. You are only responsible for reflecting God’s glory and not hiding your light under a basket. Still, I think this passage is good to remember so we can adjust our expectations.
I hope this post has inspired you to shine your light as a weapon of righteousness. How has it helped you today? I’d love to hear from you in the comments.
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How do you shine your light as a weapon of righteousness? That's what we'll be talking about today in the Weapons of Righteousness series. #shine #lightoftheworld #inspirational Click To Tweet
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