Have you ever really thought about this verse? I’ve been thinking about it a lot lately. The thing that throws me, is the idea that my light can shine. I mean I’m not the light, Jesus is the Light, right? He says so in John 8:12 - Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”
My first thought in reading this scripture was, “Don’t look at me. My light doesn’t shine.” As I have mediated and reflected on the words, this verse has come to mean much more to me. It isn’t so much about my light shining as it is about God being glorified. This changes the whole meaning for me. I don’t have to think about what I can do to make my light shine. Instead, I need to take note of everything thing I say and do and decide if my actions are actually glorifying God. Looking at it this way really changes things for me. It is not a prideful thing in which I want people to see how well I am doing. It is a hope and prayer that I may honor God in all that I do. This really is my heart. I may not always get it right, but it is something that I can work on and continue to get better at.
As I think about this scripture a song comes to mind. Remember the children's song, This Little Light of Mine? There are several different versions, but I like the one by Ernie and Debbie Rettino. Here is what the first part says:
This little light of mine, I'm going to let it shine.
This little light of mine, I'm going to let it shine.
This little light of mine, I'm going to let it shine.
Everyday, everyday, everyday and every way.
I'm going to let my little light shine.
What a simple way to remember how we are to shine our light and how we are to glorify God. Let your light shine, and let God be glorified!
