“Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16).

You are either a bridge or a barrier to people coming to Christ.

“Let your light shine before others…”

• Let – we can live a way that lets others see light and we can live in a way that hides the light
• Let your light shine
  • Light is not something we possess. Light is something we can only reflect. Just as the moon does not generate its own light, we cannot generate light on our own. The moon shines only by reflecting the light of the sun
  • In the same way, we can only reflect the light of Christ
• Let your light shine before others
  • The key is to be in the presence of Christ. When we are near Christ, we reflect Christ’s light

“Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify the Father in heaven.”

• That they may see your good deeds
  • We reflect Christ’s light when we live like Christ. When we reflect Christ’s love and grace, we reflect Christ’s light
  • Christ’s light is demonstrable through our good deeds
  • Treat everyone with the love and grace of Christ

When the people around us experience Christ’s love and grace through how we treat and honor them, they come to experience and know God.

We are either a bridge or a barrier to people coming to Christ.

Shine Christ’s light. Reflect God’s love and grace to the people around you. There is someone who needs Christ’s light today. Be that person. “Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify the Father in heaven.” 

“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good pleasing and perfect will” (Romans 12:2).

Have you ever wondered:

• Why do Koreans like Korean food?
• Why do Mexicans like Mexican food?
• Why do Americans like American food?

It’s all food. But all tastes very different. How come we like what we like? Why do certain foods give us comfort when it doesn’t do the same for others?

The thing is, we are constantly being shaped by the world we live in. The smells, the sights, the environment…all of it is constantly shaping our tastes, thoughts, and values.

But here is where Christ-followers are to be diligent. Unless we commit to God shaping us by and through God’s word, we will find ourselves shaped contrary to God’s truths.

Above our allegiance to the culture around us, we are to place our ultimate allegiance to Jesus. This takes both intentionality and effort. Being shaped by God’s truths doesn’t just happen. We have to work at it. We have to read and study God’s word. We have to read books, listen to sermons, and discuss with others the truths of God so that God’s truths shape us.

“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good and pleasing and perfect will” (Romans 12:2).

Thank you for doing your part by starting with this devotional every morning. Commit to reading and studying God’s word with others. Commit to worshiping God. This is how we work against the world constantly shaping us into its image.

“For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself'” (Galatians 5:14).

Because we are human, because we are selfish, because we are all sinners we are going to hurt others by our words and actions. It’s not a matter of if we hurt others but a matter of when. It goes with being a sinner.

Just as we hurt others, others will hurt us.

What a fine world we live in!!! What are we to do? How then can we live?

How can we live in a way that honors God and honors one another? How can we love our neighbor as ourselves?

Here is the key: You absolutely have the right to be hurt when others injure and betray us. But you never have the right to be cruel and mean.

Because we are sinners, we are going to hurt each other. We will offend each other. We will betray one another. That’s bad enough. If you add to hurt, offense, and betrayal meanness and cruelty? Wow. Forget it. Relationships are destroyed.

“The entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: love your neighbor as yourself.” Protect one another. Give each other the benefit of the doubt. Pray for one another. Do your best to honor God by loving God’s children.

You can hurt, but you never have the right to be cruel and mean.

“The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law” (Galatians 5:22-23).