Jesus Is The Light Of The World

He is The Source.

We are the salt.

He is the light.

We are His light.

The theme for this months box of encouragement, light, has been planned for over six months. Long before we had any idea a global pandemic was on the way. Long before my friend shared sermon notes she’d taken on Matthew 5, after listening to church online this morning.

“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. You are the light of the world. A city 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 men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. - Matthew 5:13-16

Long before we would experience this dark time in human history, God knew and gave me the idea for this theme. I really can’t take any credit, because I believe He’s speaking to me through this, just as much as I pray He is using loved+blessed to speak to you.

Bear His Light

Light is bold. It stands out in darkness. Even if it’s dim, it can be seen. Even a faint light in the far distance of a pitch black night will catch someone’s attention. When we feel lost God’s Word lights our path. (Psalm 119:105)

It’s our responsibility as God’s children to continuously grow spiritually in our understanding of His Word, the Bible, and to grow in our personal relationship with Jesus. Jesus is The Light of the World

“When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life. - John 8:12

As we grow and become more and more mature spiritually, our boldness grows. We stop trying to hide our light from our friends, our family, our coworkers and the world. We are so overwhelmed with His light that we can’t help but to shine bright no matter what is going on, where we are or who we are around.

When you are His light bearer, when you are the only one who can see His light in the darkness, sometimes others just don’t understand it and try to extinguish your light. Have you ever been in a good mood, filled with hope even in a dark situation and someone comes along and tells you that you’re being too optimistic or naïve? In the midst of this pandemic, I’ve told people that of course I’m anxious and have really hard days, but that ultimately I still have hope and joy in my spirit, because I know God is still in control and will work all things together for the good of those who love Him and are called together for His purpose. (Romans 8:28) Some people’s reactions have been…let’s just say…pessimistic. But I know my God is faithful.

In the book of Acts, Paul shares his testimony and says:

“About noon as I came near Damascus, suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed around me. I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me, ‘Saul! Saul! Why do you persecute me?’ ‘Who are you, Lord?’ I asked. ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting,’ he replied. My companions saw the light, but they did not understand the voice of him who was speaking to me.”

Acts 22:6-9

Sometimes you are the only person who can see the light - the only person who can see God’s goodness in a situation. Keep being His light bearer. Don’t be discouraged when others can’t see the bright side and they choose to dwell on the negative instead.

Be bold for Christ. Shine bright.

“For God did not give us a spirit of fear, but a spirit of power, of love and of a sound mind. - 2 Timothy 1:7 NKJV

What I love about this verse is that in some translations, the word fear is actually translated as timidity. In other words, God did not give you a lack of courage or confidence! He’s given you power and love! You have been saved and as a Christian you have been given a sound mind that is filled with the Word of God. So don’t let anyone try to extinguish your light. You know what God’s Word says. You know it is truth, so encourage yourself even when others try to discourage you.

Continue to grow in Christ, fan your faith into a bright flame and let your light shine always. Your light will not only help you through the darkest of times, but others will see it and be pointed towards our Father in heaven.

Be an encourager and share this post with someone who needs it.

Jamila is the founder of loved+blessed. On her personal mission to leave a legacy of encouragement, she blogs about her own life lessons with the hope that it will bring joy into others’ lives and help them find the courage to keep walking in faith knowing that all things work together for the good of those who love the Lord. Read her testimony of how God turned her misery into ministry.