“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.”
Matthew 5:14-15 (NLT)

I’m sure you’ve probably heard the saying, “the only way to get rid of darkness is to turn on the light”.  Well, that is so true when it comes to the darkness, sin and any and everything against Jesus, the light of the world.

In Matthew 5:13-15 (NLT) we are told “You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless. “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.”

Jesus first says that we are the salt of the earth. The followers of Christ are like salt in the culture to help cleanse and preserve it from moral corruption by knowing and living out the word of God in our everyday lives. When we do this, we help to preserve the moral standards that God has set as being His will and good for society.

When Jesus says we are the “light of the world” he is referring to the truth, that exact same standard that God has established as being right, moral and ethical behavior. He is saying when the Christian shows up the standard shows up so that those living in darkness (sinful and wicked lives) can see there is a better life. Some may even go to church or ask a Christ-follower for counsel or help when faced with difficulties or engaging in bad lifestyle choices. They want to know the alternative to how they are living – the godly way of truth that brings light. Now more than ever, we need to let our lights shine brighter than ever before.

But what about those times when your light may be a little dim? It becomes dim when we fail to live out the truth among those living in darkness. It becomes dim when we fail to share our faith with someone who needs to hear it. It becomes dim when we are so consumed with our own lives we fail to reach out to others in need of the truth. It becomes dim when we fear to speak up for righteousness because we are afraid of what others will say. Yes, it can become dim at times. But Jesus says don’t hide it under a bushel but be the preservative in the culture and represent Him by living out and standing up for truth.

One of the greatest things we can do as believers in Christ is to make Him known to others.  We have the greatest gift in the world and that is salvation. So, keep your flame ignited, stay in the word, surround yourself with godly people and influences and pass the torch. The world will remain full of evil and darkness but if we remember that Light overpowers darkness, we always win. We need to let our light shine bright. We need to have the courage to go into dark places to illuminate the light of the world so that men could see our good works and glorify the Father in Heaven.

Lord help us to be salt and light in a world that seems to be getting dimmer and darker by the day. Help us point people to the Cross so that men and women will see our good works and glorify our Father in Heaven.

In His Name,
Cynthia J. McCoy
President/CEO
Rejoice Women
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