Let Your Light Shine

 

I do not mean to come across as harsh or as just ranting. This is something the Lord smacked me in the face with the otheand excuse the pun but has "lit a fire" in me about. I hope it is as much a challenge to you as it was to me.

As Christians we are called to be a bright light in this dark world.

Matthew 5:14-16 says: 

 "Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven."

 Jesus is obviously the best and brightest example of being a bright light in this dark world but in John 5 He gives us another example. Jesus Himself says in John 5:35 "He was a burning and a shining light:" John the Baptist was not just a bright light, a candlestick sharing the gospel, the good news of Jesus in an unsaved, Hell-bound world...he completely burned himself out til there was nothing more to give for the cause of Christ! John the Baptist eventually ended up in jail and beheaded for his witnessing of Jesus...but he was a bright light witnessing to the unsaved and encouraging the saved until he could no longer physically be a bright light. 

 Why aren't we following this example!?!? Why is it that we, as Christians, give up so easily!? We may go out witnessing door to door, we may give out gospel tracts at the grocery store or the gas station...we rejoice when someone listens and comes to know the Lord as their Savior...as we should! But what do we do when someone slams the door in our face, when someone won't take the tract we are trying to give them? So often we whine and complain and like a little dog tuck our tails between our legs and stop witnessing for Christ. We let our light only flicker or we let it go out completely. HOW DARE US! How childish is it for us to look at this as "persecution" and we give up. If we give up on the cause of Christ because our feelings are hurt then who is going to take the Gospel of Jesus Christ to this world!? You may argue and say that other Christians will still witness