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. [Matthew 5:14-16]


Ye are the light of the world…
The world, in which we live, is in total darkness, and Christians ought to be its light. If you refuse to shine, you will keep the world in darkness. The world is already calling good, bad, and they are calling bad, good because of the prevalent darkness. BUT WHO IS TO BLAME? Can you blame the people in darkness for remaining in the dark? How will they know the way out? Can you tell the man lost in the mud to clean himself up while still in the mud? Men have remained in the darkness of sin and evil, NOT because they so wish, but because you have refused to shine your light that will make them see clearly.


...before men
Jesus commands us to shine our light Not before God, NOT BEHIND MEN, but BEFORE MEN. Many people say “I dont care about anybody, once my life is Ok before God, that is all”. Others say “well, God sees my heart, so whatever anybody thinks, is their business...” You forgot that the light we are to shine is NOT before God, but BEFORE MEN. I must live my life before men, so that they will see the Christ I have received, and they will be so captured with no other choice, but to follow the Jesus they have seen in me.


...that they may SEE...
Not "that they may hear". Lots of believers think that the way to radiate the light is by “preaching” and “evangelism”, whereas, they would not devotedly take care of their lifestyles and character. But NO! we dont radiate light by talking or shouting, it is by shinning... No man will see Christ in me when I am angry or if I am covetous. A woman who is controlled by her appetite for food, and always loves to grab, cannot shine Christ. So called Christians who lack contentment and cannot make do with little, cannot reveal Christ. Those who are controlled by money and cannot let it go, those who are impatient and struggle for things, those who cannot tolerate the weakness of others just like Jesus, brothers and sisters given to complaints, grudges and murmurings, those who slander men behind them, people who are ambitious, competitive and exhibits all manner of the works of the flesh, cannot radiate Christ for men to see.

When we become so concerned about ourselves, status and our feelings, and we cannot drop this “corn of wheat” on the ground to die, then, our discipleship is not progressing, WE CANNOT SHINE THE LIGHT OF JESUS BEFORE MEN.

Darkness does not respond to commands. It does not listen to instructions. It does not have ears. No matter how powerful you are, darkness does not respect you. The ONLY THING darkness responds to is LIGHT. Light is quiet but visible. It opens up everything hidden. It does not shout, it is not talkative, but it convinces and convicts more than words. We have tried many things in trying to stop darkness, but they never worked. We shouted and disciplined those who exhibited darkness, but it changed nothing. Day after day, we talk and give meticulous instructions to correct people, we even mete punishments to the disobedient, but our lives are not available to give AUTHENTICATION, ASSURANCE and POTENCY to the words we speak or the message we preach. People are so eloquent, but with Christless lives.

Authority is not in how loud your voice is. It is not measured by how loudly you can shout into the microphone or how loudly you can correct children in the house or in the school. The question is "is your life shinning to authenticate your message?” The rod of correction is good, but the rod is weak in the hands of those whose lives do not radiate Christ. You should not expect effectiveness if what your mouth preaches, your life negates, it will not work. Hypocrisy only makes you a noise maker. Even if you are so smart in concealing your secrets from men, yet, the weakness of your life will weaken the power of your words.
Parents and teachers who are so corrective of children, yet you wonder why it seems not to work? It may be because, what you tell them to do is “abstract” to them. They hear it, but they cannot see it. When they check your life for AUTHENTICATION, what they see is different from what they heard, so, they conclude that it is impossible, therefore, you become a noise maker. No matter how you correct men to move straight in darkness, they will still stumble and fall. But when you bring in the light and radiate it, without talking, you will find men moving gallantly without stumbling... Could it be, that the reason why we have groomed incorrigible and wayward children, is because we have “dazed” them with so much theories, yet there were no lives who mirror CHRIST practically.


I must be like Jesus... they called Him evil names, they said He had a devil, and arrogated His works to Beelzebub, yet He did not get angry and retaliate. He never kept malice nor acted against people based on their deeds to Him. He never shouted people down nor snubbed those who behaved foolishly. He never reviled nor called fire down upon His enemies, instead, He loved them. He forgave those who crucified Him. He did “good” only, regardless of what you did to Him. He would not cry, shout nor be injurious. He was tender and accepted blame. Even though He was right, He did not claim His rights, but gave up everything to God. A bruised reed He would never break, neither did He quench a smoking flax. He loved righteousness and hated iniquity. He had no preferential treatment for some selected few. He practiced no nepotism nor favoured one above the other. He loved the brethren alike (whichever church they belonged) and practiced no denominationalism or segregation. He never took advantage of the weak. He brought Himself so low and little. He never defined Himself by what He had. He was humble, approachable and friendly. He answered every question lovingly and was never sarcastic. He never looked down on the poor nor practiced favouritism to the rich. He endured all things, and depended on God solely... JESUS IS THE PATTERN. HE IS THE LIGHT THAT MY LIFE MUST SHINE...


...glorify your Father in heaven.
Men will never glorify your Father in heaven, and submit to Jesus and be truly born again, unless they have SEEN your good works displayed before their eyes. People will never serve an invisible Jesus, unless they have first SEEN the VISIBLE Jesus (in you) that points them to the invisible One...

John 14:8-9: Jesus was the Light that revealed the Father. He was not beginning to describe the physical features of the Father by telling how fat, tall or nice He is. Jesus simply pointed Philip TO HIMSELF in describing the Father. The only way you can show Christ, is by POINTING them to your life being exactly like Christ in words, deeds, character, nature and tenderness.


Jesus is the light (John 1:4-5). The light we are to shine, is NOT Intellectualism. It is not dressing well. It is not smartness, brilliance, skills or ability to speak. It is not charisma, it is NOT your church. Are you at the bus stop, on the road, in the market…, Christ must be seen in you. You cannot radiate the Christ that has not been formed within you…


SHINING THE LIGHT = RADIATING CHRIST.
I MUST LEARN OF HIM, TALK LIKE HIM. BEHAVE, ACT AND LIVE LIKE HIM.
I MUST BE EXACTLY LIKE JESUS THROUGH AND THROUGH