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“This little light of mine I’m going to let it shine Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine”*
You run your hand across the wall, struggling to find the light switch in the pitch-black room. After some searching, your fingers graze the switch and you inwardly celebrate finally finding it. As the switch is flipped, the room is engulfed in light. Every aspect of the room that was hidden is suddenly visible and the darkness, which was once so prominent, is gone — almost like it was never there at all.
“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” — Matthew 5:14-16, NIV
Anyone who has been in a dark room or outside at night knows how powerful a simple light can be. Even one light can change the entire environment. Jesus calls us to let our lights shine. A good way to remember this is to recall the childlike song, "This Little Light of Mine."
Does this mean we should all go around holding flashlights and shining them everywhere? No, rather it means that we need to show Jesus love and reflect his light in the world.
Shining our lights does not have to be a big grandiose gesture. In fact, sometimes it is the simple everyday things we do and the way we live that show our light to those around us. It could be as straightforward as staying positive when other people have a negative attitude. Or perhaps, praying for someone who is struggling through a difficult time. When we do these things, we are reflecting Christ and glorifying God.
“In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” — John 1:4-5, NIV
There is something unique about light and darkness, where there is light there can not also be darkness. If you place a lamp in a dark room, the room is no longer dark but light. The darkness does not overtake the light but rather the light takes the place of the darkness. This can also be true about shining our lights.
When recalling the "This Little Light of Mine" song, the lyrics that talk about hiding it under a bushel is a symbol of sin covering the light. We often make decisions that can hide God's light from showing in our lives, but when we choose Him, His light shines through us.
In the world, there is goodness and people glorifying God. However, there is also the opposite. There is darkness, suffering and sin. John 1:5 says that the “light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” Jesus has conquered death, sin and the world. We, as Christians, do not have to be afraid of the darkness of the world or evil.
With the Holy Spirit inside of us, we always have an opportunity to be a light. We can choose to pursue peace, hope and love in a time when there seems to be none. We can care about others when they might not care for us. We can follow Christ when the world is going the opposite way. Our lights can consume the darkness, but with Christ our lights will not burn out.
No matter the darkness around us or the struggles we are facing, we can show the love of Christ and let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.
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*Retrieved from This Little Light of Mine, 1920
