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“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

 

What are our baskets? What do we hide our light under? What prevents us from shining our light into the world? Do we hide our lights from our jobs? Do the people we work with know we’re people of faith?  From our friends? Are there people that we know outside of church that don’t know what we believe? From our neighbors? Do they have any idea that we are believers? Is the only thing distinguishable about us being a Christian the fact that we go to Church each Sunday?

A friend of mine asked a question the other day that had been really laying heavy on his heart. His question was, ‘If someone followed him for a week would it take them until Sunday to know that he was a Christian?’

Would stepping within the four walls of the church be the only evidence of our faith? I thought that was a really important, soul-searching question to share.

I remember seeing a friend from church years ago at a social event. They didn’t realize I was in earshot of their conversation. Let’s just say their choice of language and expression was loud and colorful. It took me by surprise because that was not the way this person ever acted at church.

Another time it was clear that one of our youth had forgotten they friended me on a social media application. The pictures they posted stood in stark contrast to the person they seemed to be at youth group.

"And so, blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth. Surely, my brothers and sisters, this is not right! Does a spring of water bubble out with both fresh water and bitter water?" (James 3:10-11 NLT)

But then there’s also a quiet complacency that Christians sometimes fall into in their day to day. We forget to share our light with others.

And then he told them, “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone. -Mark 16:15

To preach the Good News is to go into the world with love, patience, kindness and grace and to give credit to the author who wrote all those things into your life.

Is the church our basket? Do we leave our light there and just become a chameleon in the world from Monday to Saturday? Maybe we don’t use colorful language or stand in stark contrast to our Sunday selves…maybe its quiet complacency; But perhaps we don’t reflect our light in the way Jesus asks us to.

I ask you to ponder along with me, the question my friend asked “If someone followed you around for a week, would it take them until Sunday to know you were a Christian?”

And if your answer is yes…. prayerfully consider asking God how he might work in and through you to change that.