Shine Bright

¹⁴ “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. ¹⁵ Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. ¹⁶ Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. –Matthew 5:14-18 (NKJV)

When you mention the word, “works”, someone will always mention that we are not saved by works but by faith alone (Ephesians 2:8-9). Though that is true, if you were to accurately study the scriptures, you would find that your faith and relationship with Jesus Christ will cause you to produce good works.  If that is not the case, then something is a-miss. James said it this way…

¹⁵ If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, ¹⁶ and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? ¹⁷ Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. ¹⁸ But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. ¹⁹ You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble! ²⁰ But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? –James 2:15-20

Though it is possible to do good works without being saved, it is not possible to be saved without doing good works. The stronger your relationship with Christ, the more you will want to do things that promote and point people to Him. Though we often have good intentions, and even have ideas that would promote the gospel of Jesus Christ to those around us, we easily allow ourselves to replace those “good works” with things that have little or no value concerning the Kingdom of God.

In business, we identify problems, come up with solutions, make a game plan, and put the plan into action. If the plan was unsuccessful, we come up with another plan, and keep repeating the process until the problem has been solved. What would life be if we would address the things that really matter in the same fashion that we address things in the business world? We see lost people, we see hurting people, we see people held captive by the powers of sin, yet we make no game to solve the problem, let alone initiate one.

Isn’t it time that we remove the basket that is covering the light of Christ that is in us? For once, may we come together in the likeness of Acts 2:44-47 and touch our communities for Jesus. It sounds like a pipe dream I know, but if we would spend the same energy promoting Jesus Christ that we would spend promoting ourselves in the business world for one year, we could literally turn our communities upside down for Him.