The Lampstand Of Love

TO READ: Matthew 5:1-16

You are the light of the world —like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden.

Matthew 5:14

When Jesus said, “You are the light of the world,” he meant just that. He didn’t say, “Would you like to be the light of the world?” or “I would be so pleased if you got around to being the light of the world before you die.” He said, “You are the light of the world.” If Jesus, the Light, lives within, he lives to shine without. He wants us to shine first into the dark world; second, into the lives of other Christians; and third, into our homes.

We must let our light shine into the world. Jesus told us that we are to be as bright as “a city on a hilltop” (Matthew 5:14). Such a light cannot be hidden, and neither can the light of the world. The surrounding darkness will only enhance its shining.

We must also shine in the church. “But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other” (1 John 1:7). As we let the light search our hearts and as we obey its revelations, we will keep our relationships light and right.

We must be light in our homes. “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,” said Jesus (Matthew 5:15). We shine when we serve and love our families. We shine most of all when we live our lives on the lampstand of love.